You'll Never Walk Alone - Fighting Shadows
by Typhoon73
Summary: More than five years had passed since Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles had seen their daughter for the last time. Neither of them knew what made Elizabeth Rizzoli without a goodbye. And now they got together again under complicated circumstances. Note: All chapters have been revised!
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you all for your kind words and the support. Here comes the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **Have fun,**

 **73.**

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The chat with Danielson occupied his brain even hours later and Adam tossed and turned in his bed while he tried to fall asleep. But he was in a complete turmoil. Only after midnight, he fell asleep. Sometimes he just needed to lay down and was sleeping immediately. Since he became a detective in Boston he already had to handle Crystal meth dealer, pedophiles and rapists, and even drunken drivers, just like violent husbands. And he still liked his job. But this evening it was hard for Adam to find some rest. That was nonsense, he wasn't able to get any sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he was thinking about a brown-eyed brunette and about what he had to do the next morning. He didn't want it to do it at all. He would do everything so he wouldn't have to do it. But he didn't have chosen his profession to avoid hard tasks. Every single fact was pointing at Liz Rizzoli. The woman he once dated and married at the end. The woman who was the mother of his son. And apparently was mentally unstable.

Fuck the facts, the voice in his head told him. But he couldn't ignore was clearly visible, he couldn't ignore the evidence not what he got to know. It was obvious what he had to do. Sometimes he just had a job that sucked. When he finally fell asleep he was restless and had restless dreams.

Nightmares.

That kind in which he saw Liz like in the night in the ER: over and over covered in blood. Pale. A voice whispered: You've done that to yourself ...

"No, I haven't. No, I haven't" Liz replied with a shaky voice but convincing.

With horror, Adam has been standing beside her. I wanted to take her in his arms, he'd like to bring her to another place, away from all this horror. But then Frankie Rizzoli showed up and cuffed Liz with hesitation after Adam declined it.

"She shall be arrested? Fine. Do it yourself." He growled at the older man before Frankie did so. But he was the one who leads the brunette to the cell. He had open the door in which she stepped into without a word, but he could see everything in her eyes. I haven't done it.

And when Adam turned his back to her the screaming started. Endless, painful screams. But he didn't know if they were hers ... or his very own.

That's how he woke up. With her screams in his head.

His breathing was fast as he sat on the edge of the bed and looked into the distance. He felt sick and his head hurt. In a couple of hours, he should meet with Frankie in the hospital. This was the day when Liz got arrested and Adam couldn't do anything because of it.

This woman was able to make him freeze with just one look. The last time that happened was when he went on a date with Liz for the first time. She didn't know it but that was what she had done to her. That never happened before and after her.

He was beyond grateful that no one knew about it. And now he had to suppress his feelings, at least that was something he managed. He needed to focus, he needed to get going ... He needed to do something.

Groaning, Adam got up and walked towards the bathroom. Maybe a long, hot shower would help, and lots of coffee.

Maybe, maybe ...

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There had been days in which Elizabeth Rizzoli wished she simply passed Boston without stopping. Instead of stopping in her home town only to pay her best friend a visit as she had promised, she wished she had floored the gas pedal. As much as she liked Chaz and missed him as a friend at her side - sometimes she wished she would have broken her promise and didn't get out of her car. Maybe she should have driven to Cape Cod. It has been a long time since she had been there. The last time she was in Cape Cod was with Adam before she got pregnant.

"I should've kept on driving," she murmured and then she heard voices coming from outside. It would've been smarter, that was for sure. With sad eyes, she looked out of the window and asked herself if she'd have a single room. Was she about to be put in another hospital? Or in jail. She didn't know. Perhaps another hospital. One with heavy doors and high walls.

Black dots were dancing in front of her eyes. Dear was chocking. Imprisoned ... caught ...

She hardly suppressed a groan. As the door opened she was able to withhold a whimper. But it was only a male nurse - this time.

But soon ... soon her former colleagues would come by. She knew it. She heard steps, stared out of the window and tried not to think about what was coming next. But for one thing, she had to be thankful. Danielson wasn't near her. That was a lot. But it wasn't enough. As long as she had to look at the boring, white walls of the small hospital room the more they become like those in a prison. So she was staring out of the window. It was one made of shatterproof glass which you couldn't open - even though she hasn't tried it. But the female nurse told her about it too willingly after she took Liz' blood pressure and offered her a medical treatment - that time it was only an offer.

No one tried to give her a shot by force anymore. Not since Adam.

Liz swallowed hard and tried not to think about it, not to think about him because she knew that it wouldn't do any good. As humbling as it was that he had seen her in this situation, it seemed like his appearance had done wonders. If he had talked to a doctor after he left, or if he scared the crap out of a nurse ... Whatever that might was, since then she hasn't been forced to take medication.

No neuroleptics, no sedatives, nothing. Maybe it was because he was a tall man with a deep voice and because he was able to be really scary. Liz wasn't really sure of it, and as long as no one gave her drugs she didn't need, she didn't care. She had a clear mind. Therefore she should be grateful. And that was she was trying to be. But something was telling her that she wouldn't have seen Adam Laverty for the last time, and if they'd meet the next time it wouldn't be because of some kind of drugs her nurses wanted to give her. No, then it would be it would be about the night in which she had been found unconsciously, with cut wrists, and to get straight why there had been a baseball bat with her fingerprints with which a man had been almost beaten to death. And that man has been her best friend - the people in this place indeed thought that she was able to do such a thing. And for that they wanted her to see to go to prison.

Liz closed her eyes, placed her head on the pillow and sighed. It wouldn't take long anymore. That's what she had seen in the eyes of her doctor who had checked up on her. Sympathy, knowledge and grim approval. She didn't need the medical treatment anymore that was a part of her stay in the hospital. And they wouldn't let her walk around that easily if they couldn't keep her in sight. They thought she had done something horrible, and it was for her about time to pay for that.

But I haven't done anything wrong.

A sad, desperate whimper threatened to escape from her lips but she swallowed hard. There was no chance that she surrendered silently. Now she needed to figure out what to do.

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Maura was watching the small boy, who was playing on the floor in the living room and felt tears in her eyes. He was only five years old and reminded her so much of her daughter. He had the dark hair of Liz and the blue eyes of Adam. And his mind was as sharp as one of both of them. She wiped a stray tear off her cheek as soon as she felt a hand on her hip and looked with a smile at her wife.

Everyone else would have been fooled, but not Jane Rizzoli. She frowned slightly and asked with a sigh, "You okay?"

Maura licked her lips and turned away. She didn't want Jane to see that she was crying. "No, Jane. I'm not okay." She paused and closed her eyes when the Italian wrapped her arms around her waist. "Isn't it already enough of what we've been through?"

Jane's frown deepened and she kissed the smaller woman's neck. "I don't know, Maura. Sometimes enough is never enough. And apparently, we count to those people for whom this saying was designed." She paused and pulled the former doctor closer to her. "But I can promise that everything will be fine. How many times have I had been wrong?"

Maura looked over her shoulder and a smile graced her lips. "Many times."

"Doesn't matter," the Italian chuckled and kissed the doctor's lips. "I've been right as well."

"Yes, you were."

Jane released her wife and sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Maura heaved a sigh and nodded slowly. "Perhaps Liz is going to tell me what happened."

"You mean maybe she'll give you an explanation why she left everything behind." Jane pointed at the playing boy in the living room. "And that's including her own son."

Maura huffed and opened the hanging cupboard to get herself a coffee mug. "Don't start that again, Jane."

The former detective threw her hands up and her voice was raised, "Maura, don't tell me that you haven't been wondering what got into that girl's mind when she decided to leave and grabbed her things, without a Dear John letter. I thought she was -" she couldn't make herself to finish the sentence. "She had a good life with us, hadn't she?" She frowned because her wife stayed silent. "Maura?"

"I don't know, Jane." Maura suddenly said louder and shook her head. "I don't know if she was happy with her life, with life with us. I can't read minds."

"Did she tell you she was unhappy?"

"No, she didn't. But obviously, she talked to you about it, either!"

"I'm her mother -"

"So am I!" Maura cut her off and she was surprised herself that she raised her voice. "So am I, Jane! I carried her for over nine months. She had to go through a couple of bad things even before she was born. She is my daughter too, Jane. And I want to get to the bottom of things. If Liz is talking, she's talking to me because I want to know what happened and not to accuse her of letting her own family down."

"Doesn't it bother you," Jane asked with a high-pitched voice. "Doesn't it bother you that she gave up on her own family. Gave up this boy?"

"Of course it does." Maura shot back and raised her brows while she looked at her grandson. "All of this is bothering me but I want to hear her version of what had happened before I judge her and her actions."

"So you're excusing her for abandoning her own -"

"Good morning, Rizzoli family." Someone said as the door opened. Leslie Barrington said as she stuck her head through the door. The redhead was Liz' best friend with whom she graduated Academy and wife of Chaz Montoya. "It's a little bit loud in her. Everything's fine in here?"

Maura ignored the younger woman. "You remember what you told my father, Arthur?" She waited until her wife shrugged. "Not to give up."

"I also told him to stop making such easy choices."

Maura huffed and welcomed the redhead she had asked to look after her grandson. "We only have a slight variance right now. Are you sure that it's okay for you to babysit him?"

Leslie smiled widely. "Of course it is."

"How's Chaz doing?"

"He's recovering but he's as worse as our son, too."

Maura had to chuckle.

Jane was clenching her teeth. "Zane."

The boy in the living room was turning his had and glanced at her. "Yeah?"

The older woman rolled her eyes and nodded at the blonde. "Kiss your grandma goodbye, boy." She knew she sounded mad because he got up to his feet hesitantly and walked over to Maura but she wasn't mad at him, or Maura or Liz. She was mad at herself. She remembered how flattered she was when Liz told them that she and Adam picked the name, Zane. Not just because it sounded nice but also because it was a male version of Jane. Maura loved it immediately. Jane didn't know what to say, instead, she had started to cry. And now Maura and she had been raising a small child with Adam after Zane's mother disappeared all of a sudden. She was looking for Liz for five years, asked friends what could've happened, what kind of relationship Liz and Adam had when they haven't been with their families. Hell, she even accused him of killing and burying her in the ground without leaving any evidence. She had been surprised that he didn't freak out but told her with enforcing that he could never harm Liz, no matter what. And she was surprised that he still brought her grandson by. She thought that was a great cover in the first place. Apparently, she had been wrong.

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Liz made the mistake to look to the door as soon as she heard it being opened. She turned her head, closed her eyes and swallowed the tears. She cried silently as soon as she heard the words 'Hello.'

Maura sat down on the uncomfortable chair next to the hospital bed and forced herself not to touch her daughter even though her hands were itching. She pressed her lips together and sighed. "It's okay if you don't want to talk to me, or won't see me, honey. I just ... I only needed to make sure that it is really you. I mean ... many people change in five years and maybe you think that I am mad at you, that we're mad at you, but we are not, Elizabeth."

Oh, no. I'm sure you're not, the younger woman thought and again she stared out of the window. You're not mad just deeply disappointed. That's why you're here without Ma. She's hating me! She hasn't had planned to see one of her mothers or her husband, and yet she was glad that they came by, their presence somehow calmed her even though she knew that Adam had to check up on her before he came by for the arrest. Liz had to swallow hard and closed her eyes. She had seen the aversion of this in his eyes, that's why he refused to cuff her. She had seen the sadness in his eyes when he looked at her for the first time after a very long time, she had seen pity and confusion but she hadn't seen what she was expecting. In those eyes was no anger, no blame, no hate. She had thought that he would hate her after leaving their son and him just behind, but she knew all these years that Adam was no vitriolic person, no matter what happened in the past. But she also knew that one day she had to face him and all his questions. She had withheld all her feelings until he took her into custody until he closed the cell door behind her. As she heard the clicking of the lock she couldn't help herself anymore and scream at top of her lungs. She wasn't sure anymore what she had yelled but it made Adam stop before he disappeared around the corner. Liz pressed her lips together. She knew that thinking about him was a bad idea, for both of them. What if I did it and repress the memory of that night? What if I allow Adam back in my life only to destroy him completely? I can't let that happen.

"Adam's taking good care of Zane." Maura suddenly said and opened her purse. "Well, Ma and I help him every now and then, all of us do. Especially if he has to go to work." She placed a picture of the small boy next to her daughter's hand on the bed. "I ... I thought you might want to see him even if it's only on a picture. I leave it here with you if you want to. If I shall it take it with me -"

"No," Liz suddenly said and turned her head to look at her mother, taking the picture carefully in her hand. "Please leave it here."

Maura had to swallow hard but she smiled a little. At least her little daughter looked at her and talked to her, even if it wasn't much. "Okay." She croaked and could see the unasked question. "Your Ma ... She's doing pretty well, too. Currently, she's ... She's working on something that's why she can't be here right now."

Liz didn't buy it for real but nodded. "Of course," she replied and took a closer look at the picture. It showed a five-year-old boy with dark hair and blue eyes, and a bright smile. A year ran down her cheek as she caressed the face. "He's so big."

Maura smiled widely. "He's a wonderful child, and as smart as you, Liz. And as demanding."

It was the first time that Liz smiled a little. "And Ma."

"Yes," the blonde laughed. "But Zane also has traits of Adam. He can be very patient and generous."

"Sounds more like you."

"That's what your Ma said, too. But I think that Zane got very good genetics with parents like Adam and you." She replied and cleared her throat as soon as Liz' smile disappeared. "Frankie's making a big -" she trailed off as soon as she mentioned Frankie's name and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"He was only doing the job Adam couldn't," Liz said and frowned. "I remember nothing, Mom." Maura only nodded her head. "I'm not sure if I beat Chaz up and -"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, honey."

"What are you meaning with 'we'?"

"What do you think Ma's doing? Sitting around and watch you being arrested for something you haven't done?"

Liz heaved a sigh and licked her lips. "Mom, I just told you that I can't remember anything. Or if I -"

"Elizabeth, you are not like this." Maura cut her off roughly and placed a hand on a dressed wrist, and was glad that her daughter didn't pull away. "You wouldn't do something like this. Even though you have been gone for five years, you wouldn't do things like this, or I'd be more than wrong."

"Maybe you don't know me anymore."

"I'm your mother, I'll know you as long as I'm alive."

Liz smiled a little and closed her eyes. She knew that Maura was right about almost everything.

"Do you want to tell me what made you run away five years ago?"

Liz swallowed hard and shook her head without looking at the former doctor.

"Okay," the older woman stated. At least she was glad that Liz was talking to her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Maura found her wife hovering over the files of the case in which their daughter was involved and she knew that Jane didn't get any sleep at all. She took a deep breath as she walked over to the coffee maker and poured herself a mug.

Jane didn't look up from a page she was reading and asked with a ferocious voice, "Did our daughter explain what she got herself into?" Now she was looking at the former ME. "Or why she left without a goodbye?"

Maura was holding the intense gaze of Jane and understood her reaction at some point. As soon as she had found out that Liz left everything behind she was just hurt as Jane was, wondering what they had done wrong the whole time. She licked her lips and sighed. "She barely has spoken."

The older Italian nods slowly and stuck her nose back into the file.

Maura rolled her eyes and walked over to the table. She knew quite well from whom Liz got her perseverance. "Jane -"

"Ssh, I need to focus." She frowned as soon as a couple of arms appears in front of her and her eyes were finding gung-ho hazel eyes.

"No," the doctor replied firmly while she's bracing herself on the table. "You need to listen carefully!"

Jane's eyebrows are shot up and she leaned back in her chair. "Oh?"

Maura straightened her back again. "Yes! Our daughter Elizabeth is needing us right now!"

"And what about her very own son, our grandson Zane?" Jane stated louder and got up to her feet, running her hand through her hair. "Doesn't he need his mother? Doesn't we need our daughter? And as long as I don't have a massive head injury or Alzheimer, or live in a parallel universe, we taught our daughter that there is nothing more important than family. We did reach her what it means to take greater responsibility. And what did Elizabeth do? She turned her back to all of us. Especially to Zane."

Maura had to swallow hard and agrees silently with the former detective and still, she was trying to support her own child. "But she's still our daughter."

"Who handled herself pretty well the last five years." The other woman stated coldly.

"She knows that she made a mistake."

"That's not what I mean, Maura," Jane replied louder and ran a hand through her hair, pacing up and down. "All we've been doing that family is the ultimate. That there is nothing more important and all Liz did was turning her back at us without saying a word, without leaving a note behind. Maura, either of us has been looking out for her for ... months. We've been checking the hospital for her frequently, even the god damn morgues all around the country. And what about Adam? That poor boy is still hoping that they could work everything out after she cropped up again? Really? And why on Earth should we drop everything now and -"

"Because she's our daughter." Maura snapped and folded her arms over her chest. "Because she's your daughter, Jane Rizzoli. And we both know that she's a good person and that there has to be a good reason why she left like that. Now get a hold of yourself, would you?"

Jane's mouth hung open and a frown crawled up on her forehead, not really sure what to say about that but then she heard footsteps coming from the stairs. She turned to the source of the sound and she looked at her wife as soon as a sleepy, grumpy little boy rounded the corner, her eyes said silently that this conversation wasn't over yet. She scooped him up and a small smile tugged on her lips. "Hey there, did we wake you?"

He whimpered and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Maura sighed heavily and glanced at the clock on the wall which said that it was just shortly after five in the morning before she started to prepare breakfast.

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Borderline syndrome. Suicidal. Has been violent in the past. Manipulative.

"Whatever people want to see in her, she makes them believe that."

Jesus, there had to be something true because of Adam absolutely convinced that she wasn't what the facts were telling him. "This woman is pretty confused."

Confused.

Yes, he was sure that Liz Rizzoli was confused. She cut her damn wrists, and apparently, it hasn't been the first time. "She already tried to kill herself ... Liz doesn't want any kind of help. She doesn't understand that she's needing some."

She already tried to kill herself. At this tonight Adam's stomach turned, and he became angry.

Damn it, don't to wrack your brain about it. Just do your work. Those words rang in Adam's head while he walked down the hallway. His footsteps echoed through the corridor. He thought that it sounded terrible.

Frankie and his new partner Steven O'Riley followed him, just like two uniformed. But Adam felt extremely lonely. He wasn't sure what exactly he was doing right now. Frankie walked in front of him with big steps. He didn't do any unnecessary movements and didn't waste any words. Not even in this situation. He didn't have any reason to do so. Adam could imagine every damn word in Frankie's head. He was sure that they the same Chaz Montoya told him on the phone twenty-four hours previous. Either of them had the same opinion - Liz didn't belong behind bars because of Chaz' attack, and the evidence didn't point at her for the murder of James Waterston, either. For that, she couldn't be locked away. Adam's gut was telling him that absolutely nothing fit together. It was bad luck that he couldn't only rely on his gut. He had to stick to the facts, and those were painting a very dark picture of Liz' last five years and a very unsettling personality.

And it was a fact that her fingerprints had been on the weapon with which Chaz almost had been beaten to death, and that she tried to kill herself after that. No, Liz didn't belong behind bars, but she needed help.

He had to think about how Waterston had died.

It was ugly. It was a real mess. And painful, too. Was Waterston in her way? He thought at day back when someone ran into her on the market place and she stumbled, fell against a pant tub and knocked the half-toasted Ficus over. And then Waterston ran into her and then Liz tripped out - apparently she had a problem with people who wore a uniform. That was a fact. They deconstructed the circumstances of the crime with the statement of Mary Barker and her receipts of their shopping spree. And time-wise nothing fit. According to Mary Liz had spent most of the day with her and yet ... Something was wrong and Adam needed to figure that out. Curiously he asked Frankie, "How is Liz behaving when you're around?"

"Calm," Frankie replied and glanced over his shoulder. "She's barely speaking, though. Even if her assigned counsel is with her she won't talk. Only when Leslie's around she's actually talking - she's asking about Chaz a lot but only Leslie's talking to her about him." He sighed.

O'Riley looked saddened at Adam. "Apparently she doesn't go along well with uninformed. She doesn't even look at me - just like the others. But when Frankie's around she doesn't seem to be so nervous."

"Nervous," Adam asked with a frown. He already knew that officers in uniform seemed to make her uncomfortable, for whatever reason, but he wanted to her the option of Frankie and O'Riley.

"You know what I mean, Laverty." O'Riley shrugged. "You surely already noticed how jittery she gets if a uniformed is in the same room with her. I don't tell you anything new."

Adam looked down the hall. Not even six-yard away was a uniformed officer standing in front of Liz' room.

Liz, damn it!

For him, she wasn't a suspect, not Mrs. Rizzoli. Still Liz ... with fascinating brown eyes and long, soft brown hair.

Liz. Fuck. .

He didn't want to allow himself to see her as his wife, as the mother of his son. This woman was accused of aggravated battery, and she already had been mentally unstable in the past. But he couldn't make himself to see Liz as a suspect. Besides - even the timing didn't fit he couldn't rule out that she didn't kill Waterston, or at least has been involved in the crime. She was officially considered dangerous, he had to keep that in mind. Or perhaps he was the one who was mentally unstable. Would he've been left alone he'd pause to slap himself and intend to do all the things so he'd see the criminal in Liz? He knew he shouldn't be thinking about Liz neither about her long, soft hair neither about her big, sad eyes or how much he wanted to pull her against him and promising her that ... whatever. He'd promise her anything.

Suspect, he reminded himself. Bad timing. And yet something inside him was stirring ... Something he didn't want to get to the bottom of it. She wasn't in Boston when Waterston got killed, remember? She has an alibi.

Sure Liz had a watertight alibi, but there was enough to give rise to doubts. Even if she didn't kill Waterston it's pretty sure that she attacked Chaz. Yeah, she was really close to him. What if she'd found out that Chaz wasn't the person he pretended to be anymore? If he disappointed her? Then she gets mad. Adam sighed heavily. Accept it, man. You can't be into a woman who's crazy. Damn it! Common sense could be really bugging. He really believed in the voice of reason. He liked it. He listened to it. He wished more people would do the same instead of listening to instincts, to greed, to their daffiness. Well, maybe then all of them would be jobless. That was fate. As a cop, he earned money because of the irrationality of other people. Now his voice of reason advised not to see the beautiful woman with sad brown eyes in Liz Rizzoli. He solely had to think about the fact that she has been found under the same tooth with a dead man and a man whose life was hanging by a thread.

And yet he remembered what kind of past the two shared. Big brown eyes, those long brown hairs, a smile that infected everyone around her, her irresistible beauty - nothing was worth the trouble these days. And at the same time Adam was feeling the urge to pull her close to him, to protect her, too... He cleared his throat and was grateful that neither of the other men looked at him. He should forget about that and preferably listen to his voice of reason. Yes, that was the order of the day. For some reasons, his brain told him something else than his instinct. If he'd listen to his brain - not differently to expect - take the safe side and act like a detective. Liz was still a suspect.

But his instinct ...

"Why do you think she's innocent," he asked Frankie.

The older man answered with a clinical voice, "Who's saying I think she's innocent?"

"I can put one and one together."

Frankie smiled weakly and even though he didn't respond to that Adam got the message. You've been the one who arrested her.

Damn, what other choices did he have? Perhaps she didn't kill Waterston, but he couldn't ignore the evidence which had proven that she was in the attack involved.

"Laverty."

Adam didn't recognize the deep voice immediately and looked over his shoulder, blinking slowly. Then he turned completely and watched how Chaz Montoya slowly exited the elevator. Behind him, the door closed again. He was white as a shed - well, he could call himself lucky that he was still alive. Less then seventy-two hours ago he was still in a coma and the doctors weren't so sure if he'd wake up again. Normally he shouldn't be walking around which was obvious because he was bracing himself on a banister. His brown eyes were worrying. His lips were pressed together. If Chaz made it to Adam in the hallway it was sure that he'd give it a try to throw a punch at Adam.

Adam sighed heavily. "Damn, Chaz, you should still be laying in your bed."

"If you'd picked my calls then I would be right there." Chaz barked.

"We've been talking yesterday."

"Yeah, then I find out that you show up," Chaz growled with a tight smile. "Wonder why."

"You shouldn't wrack your brain about that. You have to recover. Get well again. I was about to talk to you tomorrow." Adam replied. After he got the inevitable done. God, this man got out of a coma just two days ago. He really shouldn't care about things like that.

"Tomorrow." Chaz snorted. "Tomorrow. After you've arrested my best friend because she allegedly almost beat me to death. If you ask me, that's bullshit just a waste of tax dollars.

Adam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. This didn't go as planned. He just wanted to get this done, that's all. He didn't want to think about Liz anymore, all the problems she had to deal with ... and those who were still waiting for her. And also not about her relationship with Chaz. Hell, it would be best for his own sake just to forget her. "Listen, Chaz, I know that you're mad ... but I have to do my job. We have evidence -"

"You have nothing," Chaz cut him short. "Nothing. She was standing in front of me. Do you get that? She was standing in front of me while someone from behind floored me. I saw Waterside's body laying three yards behind her and then someone knocked me down. You know Liz is a smart woman, and I always thought she's something special, but I doubt that even she can be at two places at the same time, Laverty." He angrily clenched his fists and stared at Adam like he's considering to hit him right that moment.

Chaz' statement sounded strange, and yes, it made Adam think but Chaz probably would do anything to protect Liz. Everything.

Adam replied with a sigh, "Look, I know that you like ... Ms. Rizzoli and that you want to help her, but facts are facts and said facts draw us to the conclusion that -" His phone started to ring and he got it from his pocket absentmindedly to turn it off before he recognized the number. It was the lab. Frowning, he raised apologetically his hand and took the call.

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She heard their voices, weak and indistinctly, but it wasn't hard for her to recognize them. Recognizing Adam and Frankie wasn't hard at all. A shiver ran down her spine. Liz tugged her knees to her chest and told herself Don't cry, Elizabeth. Don't cry, don't cry.

When the door started to open she jumped a little even though her arms were still wrapped around her body. She saw it coming. Knew that ... Adam. That's for sure Adam. He's coming to arrest me even though I get the feeling that he's believing me.

But it wasn't Adam. Someone else entered her room - on shaky legs with a frowsy beard and eyes which seemed way too old. He had a cast on his right forearm - and Liz was sure as soon as he wasn't in great pain anymore, this thing would bother him as hell that he was limited in his movements. If it didn't bother him already. But his arm wasn't the worst. His face was bruised and covered in scratches.

"Oh God," she breathed and covered her face with her hands. Chaz.

She wanted to climb out of the bed but the fixation around her ankles kept her from doing so. She swore under her breath and simply stared at her friend. "Chaz." She whispered.

At that, Chaz gave her an uncertain smile, dragged him to her bed and sat down on the mattress. "Hey there," he said out of breath.

Liz reached out for him and when he wrapped his good arm around her shoulder she started to cry. God, I was so scared. So scared. Her crying grew harder and she hiccupped.

"Sssh," Chaz tried to soothe her and caressed the back of her head, whispering. "It's okay, Lizzy. Everything's gonna be okay."

She didn't believe it but at least now she was sure that he was gonna be okay again. That was good enough for her, now.

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Adam entered the lab and his heart dropped as soon as he saw Maura standing in there. He pushed the door open and stuttered, "Is everything ... is everything okay with ... with Zane? Please tell me that he's fine."

Maura's eyes shot up and she glanced over the rim of her reading glasses. "What?" It dawned to her when she saw his worried expression. "Oh my God, everything is fine. Zane is doing amazingly fine. He's staying with Jane right now."

He heaved a sigh of relief but then frowned. "Maura, don't get me wrong but what are you doing here?"

The older woman smiled a little and handed him a file. "Helping. Most of the blood samples are the type AB, that's Liz' blood group. But not all of it. There also was blood type 0. It wasn't very easy to figure it out, this isn't the FBI. If none of this would be so absurd, the lab techs wouldn't have looked at it closely. At first sight, it looks very simple - she cuts her wrists, drops down, hit her head. No wonder that she had blood in her hair. But we didn't only find blood in it." She took a petri dish in her hand. "There also was body tissue in her hair. What I don't understand is how she can hit her head and also get body tissue of another person in her hair, Adam. This evidence isn't convincing me. According to this, she must have been capable to hit herself with the same baseball bat with which she has beaten Chaz, on the back of her head. That doesn't make sense at all."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck. No, this wasn't convincing him, too. "And I surely don't have to ask you if the tissue came from Liz?"

Maura scowled at him.

He threw his hands up. "Alright, alright." He sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Then there's one question: What the hell is going on?"

Maura put her glasses down and wiggled her eyebrows. "It seems like you are looking at a conspiracy. I really do believe that, Adam."

"You do." He narrowed his eyes and then he looked back at the report. While the cop in him was still skeptical the sickening feeling in his stomach slowly faded. In that way, everything made much more sense to him. Because of that he no longer has the impression that he was fooling himself. Because of that, he had no longer the feeling that he was treating Liz like shit. She didn't do it. He smiled at Maura. "Thank you."

Maura smiled back at him. "You're more than welcome.

Adam was about to leave but then he turned around again. "Maura?"

"Yes?" She replied while she gathered her things.

"You didn't run the tests yourself, did you?"

She looks up with a frown but then she smiled innocently. "Of course not. I am only here to give you my counsel and this results. All I've been doing was to wait and watch. Otherwise, the results wouldn't be permitted by law."

He looked long at her and a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. He wasn't sure if he should believe her at all but he didn't want to question her honesty. Especially if it could risk the case. "Thanks." He murmured. "And thanks for looking out of Zane, I know he can be a handful."

"Jane and I know exactly how to handle a kid like that," Maura said with a real smile and chuckled as Adam scoffed and turned to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so. So, SO terribly sorry for the long of the story, and I hope that some of you guys still stick with it. But I couldn't think of how to continue it until today. I promise that I'll try to update it constantly by now.**

 **Because of the delay, I wrote an extra-long chapter, and I will revise any mistakes of this chapter before I publish the next one.**

 **And before you start to wonder, Liz' former partner is Danielson, I have no idea why I named him Larson in the 2 CH. And I decided that her son Zane is 6 instead of 5, 5 wouldn't make much sense, right**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this update.**

 **Enjoy,**

 **T73**

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Jane stood in front of Chaz' front door where her daughter currently was living and frowned deeply. She wasn't sure why she wasn't able to knock at the door in that moment and to face her daughter. She reasoned that she was afraid she could lose her composure the moment she lay her eyes on Liz. She knew that it was a bad idea to turn on her heals and disappear again without even trying it, but she considered it.

She took a deep breath and knocked, Leslie opened the door and let the older woman in without saying a word. She didn't say a word either and followed the redhead in a sunroom. She rounded the corner and held her breath as soon as her eyes landed on the woman who sat on a wooden chair. She didn't expect that Liz would look so small and helpless these days, but she expected that her daughter would stare outside of the window even though someone else was present in the room. She still remembered how she started to panic the moment her daughter felt sick as a small child and Maura wasn't around. How she nearly freaked out and how Liz reassured her that she'd feel better after some rest.

She heaved a sigh and dropped a briefcase that held her personal notes loudly on the table in front of the younger woman and took her jacket off, trying to avoid glancing at the bandages around Liz' wrists. She could play the game, too. The game of being distant. "Didn't your mother teach you that it is rude to ignore your guests?"

"Seems like I missed that part, yeah," the younger woman mumbled still without looking at her mother.

Jane clenched her jaw and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Seems like you've been missing a lot of things she taught you." She snapped, she didn't mean to, but she couldn't hold back her upcoming anger.

That comment made Liz turn her head and her eyes were hard. "Why are you here?"

Jane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why I'm … Your still my daughter after all."

"I can't change that fact."

That was it! Jane took the briefcase from the table again, and then her jacket. "You know what? I didn't come here only to face you ungrateful snotty little miss. I came here to help you."

"And I didn't ask for your help." Liz shot back and clenched her jaw the second she saw the pain in her mother's eyes. "I didn't ask for you to come here."

Jane threw her briefcase back on the table and furrowed her brows. "Are you not hearing what I'm saying, kid? I am your mother! It is my job to be here and help you, it is my job to be worried about you. Just because you've been ignoring these duties for years, it doesn't mean I'm doing the same."

Anger blazed in Liz' eyes and she clenched her fists like she was about to attack the other woman. Jane, on the other hand, wasn't impressed by the move and folded her arms over her chest. She wasn't afraid of picking up a fight with Liz because she knew she'd win it. "You got something to say?"

"You have no clue why I ran." The younger woman growled. "You shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about."

Jane was sure that Liz had to bite back the word Ma and sighed again. "Then tell me why you thought you had to run, Liz. Tell me why you disappeared for five years because -" She paused and shrugged. "Because I don't get it. Have your mom and I had been such bad parents that you didn't see a reason to talk to us? That you didn't confide in us? Has your marriage been so awful that you didn't see any other way than to leave Adam and your newborn son behind?" She stopped and furled her brows. "Do you have an idea what you put your mother through the moment you left without a second thought? What you put all of us through? Adam was looking for you everywhere he could, Mom contacted every possible hospital and morgue, hoping that you wouldn't turn up in any of them. I pushed all my contacts in U.S to look out for you and to give me a call the second they get a hint where you could be. We thought that you are dead and ended up in a morgue as a Jane Doe. That someone got you, murdered you, and dumped you in a roadside ditch. Mom has been crying every single night, for years. And when Zane turned old enough and started to ask where you are, we told him that you are running a deep undercover operation, and that you'll be home as soon as you can. Even if you won't believe it, Liz, this little boy has been asking for you the moment he started to speak. And then you turn up in a hospital in Boston, arrested for murder. You can call yourself lucky that Frankie and Adam are still working at BPD, Elizabeth. You can call yourself lucky that Adam is still loyal to you."

"Yeah," Liz murmured but looked back out of the window to hide the tear that was running down her right cheek. "that's why he was the one who arrested me. He's so loyal."

"He was just doing his job." The former detective replied louder and raised her brows high. "Would you have preferred some foreign cop to make the arrest?"

"Yes," the younger woman whispered without looking at her mother. "I'd have preferred that."

Jane took a moment and then she sat down on a chair across from Liz. "Why," she asked, this time gently, but her daughter didn't answer and didn't look at her. "Do you still love him?"

Liz inhaled shakily and stared out of the window, concentrating on the clouds which passed by. She wasn't willed to admit that she indeed had still feelings for the father of her child. She wasn't willed to risk the lives of the ones she loved most.

Jane knew better and kept her hands to herself even though her heart demanded a single touch to make sure that her daughter was indeed still warm and alive. To make sure that her mind didn't trick her and held her trapped in a dream. "You do, don't you?" She waited for a response but didn't get one. She took a deep breath and opened her briefcase, getting her notes out of it. "Okay, can you tell me what you remember after waking up at the crime scene?"

That made Liz looking back at her mother and frown. "You're not on duty anymore."

Jane wiggled her brows and crossed her legs. "True, but that doesn't mean that my instincts are sharp no more."

"I can't ask you to help me, Ma."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you can buy me and mom a dinner, or a short trip to the Maldives. Two weeks should do it."

That made Liz smile for the very first time and she leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath.

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"Can you explain that again, Laverty?"

"I'm just looking for more information about your former partner." Adam said calmly. Although, frankly, he himself didn't know how much information he needed at all, let alone what he was looking for - or why. Even if Liz was an accomplice, he wouldn't have to dig deep. He just couldn't help it.

Officially, Liz Rizzoli was no longer his business. But damn it, he just couldn't let it go. Why not, it was a mystery to himself. But he couldn't give her up.

"What else do you want to know," Danielson asked sadly and quietly. "I feel bad because I've already told you so much, and now you want to hear more?"

Adam sighed, turned his chair and stared out the window. "Yeah, I want as much as possible, the more I know, the better I can help."

"Oh, nonsense." Danielson laughed, but even over the phone it was clear that it wasn't meant to be humorously. "Don't fool me, you don't want my help, you want the last nail to her coffin, not with me, I don't want to do that to my partner."

The line went dead.

"Former partner," Adam mumbled. Then someone tapped on his shoulder and he hung up. He turned around and frowned. He was looking in the face of his nephew Percy, the last one he'd have expected now. Intimidated, the boy cleared his throat. He looked like a kicked animal.

He and his father had moved to Boston two years ago, after Percy's mother passed away.

Adam looked at his nephew and wondered where his cheeky, almost reckless demeanor was. "Are you okay, Percy?"

"Sure." The boy shrugged his shoulders, walked around the desk, and absent-mindedly made a few coins jingle in his trouser pocket, like Adam always did when he was nervous or distracted.

Exactly because of that, Adam didn't carry any more change with him, because such insignificances brought one down during an interrogation. To show nervousness or tension was extremely unwise.

Percy stopped in front of the desk and shifted from one foot to the other. "You didn't happen to see Mom's pendant; the stupid necklace is cracked."

Aha. That explained his pitiful face. Adam leaned back. "No, not that I know, I'm sorry. How long have you been looking for the pendant?"

"For a few days." Dejected, the tall, lean boy plopped down on a chair and stared into nothing.

"Do you remember when you have seen the necklace the last time?"

Percy exhaled in annoyance. "Dude, how would I know that? Probably sometime in the morning, after a shower, then it was gone." He looked at Adam, but then looked away and around the room.

"Did you ask your dad?"

"Nah." From one second to the other, Percy closed up. He crossed his arms over his small chest and jumped up. "I'm off again, you have to do your stupid cop thing."

"Percy -"

The boy stopped in the door.

Adam sighed. "I keep my eyes open and ask around a bit." That wouldn't do much, but he felt he should do something or at least say something. "Maybe it'll show up again."

Percy nodded and disappeared with a hanging head and slumped shoulders.

That poor boy.

Adam wished he could help his nephew, give him some advice. But Percy didn't let anyone in now. As soon as Adam had a little more time, the two needed to talk. But now he had to go to Frankie. Since Liz was no longer their suspect, he needed an update.

Maybe he would check on Liz. Even as this thought came to him, he tried to suppress it, because he wasn't supposed to think about Liz like that. Whether she was responsible for Chaz's injuries or not, the woman had mental problems. He couldn't allow to be involved in such a matter.

Adam was about to gather his belongings and to get up from his chair as an older man approached his desk. He knew the older detective for years already. Detective Trent Newman was a pleasant fellow. He was always friendly, and his voice was calm, it never happened that the seasoned cop lost his patience. Adam frowned as soon as he saw the serious expression of Newman, he knew immediately that something was bothering him. "What's the matter, Newman?"

Instead of answering, Newman put his hand in his pocket and pulled something out. Whatever it was, it was so small that it fit into his fist and held it closed so that Adam couldn't see the object.

"I can't even exactly say why I've saved this," Newman began thoughtfully. "I was standing in front of my burning house, watching it go up in flames, thinking of how proud my grandma always was on this house, how much she loved it, I was so mad, and still I am, then I have looked at the ground and saw it. "

"What have you seen, Trent?" Adam's stomach clenched, and he felt hot and cold. He clenched his teeth and stood up.

Newman's green eyes were on him. His gaze should have been hard, ice cold or raging, but Adam found compassion in them. Then he knew it, he suddenly knew it. And even before the older man opened his hand and let the golden pendant dangle between his thumb and forefinger. Adam looked away and closed his eyes. But he still could see the gently swinging cross in front of him. Percy's cross. It's Percy's, he thought to himself. The words were on his tongue, but he swallowed them, unable to say them out loud. Fuck.

He couldn't say the sentence aloud, and thus reveal what it was, not to a longtime friend ... Fuck. Fuck.

Adam dropped his jacket over the back of his chair, started pacing up and down in the room, and ran his hands over his face. He couldn't breathe. Damn, he couldn't breathe. Also, that he loosened the knot of his tie did not help. What if something had happened to the stupid boy? Or if someone would have been in the house?

"Laverty?"

He turned and met the eyes of the other detective. He bit his tongue. He wanted to scream, curse, hit something. Wanted to go to his brother and beat him, so he finally woke up and saw how screwed up his son was by already. Someone had to do something.

"What's wrong, Laverty," Newman asked.

Adam shook his head. He couldn't do it.

"It's Percy's necklace, isn't it," Newman said calmly. "I'm sure I saw him in the city with it around his neck about two weeks ago. " He slipped the pendant into his palm and looked at it. "Didn't look like a typical necklace that teens wear, you know, unless he's gotten it from his girlfriends." With a look at Adam, he added, "Or from the deceased mother."

Silence set in.

"That doesn't convict him." Adam suddenly said. "This necklace doesn't mean anything.

"No." Newman pursed his lips, placed the necklace on the edge of Adam's desk, and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. "And, officially, it wasn't found in my backyard, so after all you know, I spotted it on the side of the road and picked it up, and I'm lying to you right now."

"Damn it." Adam rubbed the back of his neck. Suddenly he turned around and rammed his fist against the wall where his desk stood. Pain shot through him, his skin spilt open, and he stared at his knuckles as the blood began to flow. Then he took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand. He looked to Newman. "What will you do?"

Newman shrugged. "I don't know, but your nephew is crazy."

"He's not crazy."

"Oh, he absolutely is." He threw his hand in the air and whirled around to glare at Adam angrily. "I feel sorry for the kid. Do you think I want him to be charged with such a crime, how old is he ... fourteen, fifteen? He's a kid, damn, and his whole life is still ahead of him. He just has to understand it." Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. "But he will not, if he doesn't get his act together, no one has been hurt ... this time, but you can't pretend that nothing has happened. Do you want to rap him over the knuckles to make him go and sweep up the ashes that used to be my house? Do you think that would give him a piece of your mind? He needs professional help, Laverty. And you know that as well as I do. "

Adam's stomach clenched as he looked away from Newman and the golden cross on his desk. He remembered how his nephew had looked just a few minutes ago. Damn it. Why had the boy come to him and confide in him? With burning eyes and narrowed throat he looked again at Newman. "What do you want to hear, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Get him help, for God's sake, you're a cop, so think up something, do something, organize help for him, jail isn't for the boy, but you can't just pretend that nothing happened."

Adam took a deep breath and dropped the pendant into the top drawer of his desk after the older man turned to leave.

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Some would have said that a smart man wouldn't show up here.

He thought there was no better place to be right now. Watching Liz was just the best. It was great. Although hell was going on in Boston. If anyone saw a strange shadow creeping around in the woods, well, then maybe he would get a load of shotgun pellets in the buttocks. He was here anyway. She had been in the hospital, and rumors spread around that she was almost arrested. He had caught the words insane and criminal.

At the thought alone, he had to giggle. Liz ... insane. He laughed. She looked as if she would start screaming at the slightest noise, as if she would pass out if someone jumped out from behind a tree. And they had wanted to arrest her for aggravated battery, maybe even for murder? That was too amusing.

But now she was free again ... and she would probably run away soon. That's what she always did. And he just needed to wait and watch.

As soon as she ran away ...

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"I shouldn't be here," Liz murmured. The sun was shining on her back as she wandered around the porch, and yet she froze.

Chaz was sitting on a canopy swing with his eyes closed. But he didn't sleep. Rather, he opened one eye, peered in her direction, his gaze smart and intense, and then he closed it again. "You're not leaving, Liz."

She looked at him with narrowed eyes and continued to wander around. "That's not your decision," she hissed.

That made him smile, but he didn't say anything.

No. She wouldn't leave. Not now.

Three days. She had been back in this house for three whole days, and each one of them had turned out to be the purest nightmare. Just because she was back in Boston, she felt a tingling sensation on her skin. The whole time she was haunted by reminiscences of that night. They were blurry and fragmented, but even that was enough.

Neither she nor Chaz could remember the events of that night, which was not surprising in Chaz's case, given how badly he had been beaten up. That she had been hit in the back of the head might easily explain the loss of memory, but she wondered if that veil that laid over everything might have been due to her cowardice and that she was pushing something to the back of her mind.

Again, and again Liz saw James Waterston in front of her. She held her hands over her eyes, so she could fend off the few images of the night that were storming at her. Most clearly, Waterston's expression had burned into her memory, rigid, yet full of miserable, pitiful horror, as if he'd died with a plea for mercy.

He didn't deserve that. Sure, he had been a chauvinist asshole, but nobody deserved such a death.

The landline rang.

She flinched and looked to the door. "I'll get it."

"I can get up, Liz." He replied and made a face.

"And I'm already standing." When she realized how hard her words sounded she blushed. She turned around, entered the house and took the cordless phone from the kitchen counter. After a glance at the display, she made a face and almost wished that Chaz would be here right now. The display showed the number of the BPD, a number she still knew by heart. She took the call. Her answer sounded rough.

When Adam answered her, his way to talk calmed her a little. "Hello, Li - Miss Rizzoli. Can I please talk to Chaz?"

Without another word, she brought Chaz the phone and tried not to think about the man at the other end of the line.

She tried to suppress the feeling that aroused her in because of that deep, pleasant voice. It amazed her that she still knew that feeling. For years no one has triggered such a feeling in her.

She really had to stop seeing him as a man.

Don't see him as a man, but a cop. Hello, the guy wanted to arrest you.

That was supposed to make it clear once and for all that he was not a man she should think about. She didn't even think about any guys. Basta. She no longer trusted them. She didn't need them. Chaz was the exception, and he didn't count as a man for her. He was just Chaz, her best friend ... and he was not dangerous. The rest of the male species could go the way of the dodo bird if it was about her, so they would do her a favor. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She wasn't sure why she thought so. The extinction of the male species would include her own son. That was something she didn't want to happen, Zane being no more.

A low voice from the bottom of her heart whispered to her that Adam was different. She closed her eyes and thought back on they met for the very first time in her favorite bar. How Leslie has been sitting with her at their favorite table, and how suddenly a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes asked them if he could sit with them. How they had a nice evening together and then, all of a sudden, Leslie bit her goodbye, and she and Adam suddenly had been on their own. He told her honestly that his friends wanted him to pick her up but that he wasn't that kind of guy and that he enjoyed spending the evening with her instead with his buddies. At the end of the evening, he kept his hands to himself and asked her if they could do that again, spend time with each other after their shift at BPD. He didn't hide the fact that he was the new detective in the homicide unit, and she didn't hide the fact that she was a patrol officer at the same precinct. Since then they started to build their relationship slowly but surely. Get a hold of yourself, Elizabeth. She shook her head, leaned back against the counter and looked up. Chaz lowered the phone. "Well, has he changed his mind? Does he want to lock me up now?"

"Stop it," Chaz growled and grimaced again. "No, he actually planned to come over and talk to me, but he had something else came up, so we postponed it." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Liz, no one is coming to arrest you. Relax."

"Relax?" She placed a hand on her stomach, which was clenching again. How was she supposed to relax when it felt like someone was watching her steps, watching her every move? Lurking …

Shuddering, she repressed this idea and looked into Chaz' bruised face. "Are you hungry? You hadn't had much for breakfast."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Elegant change of topic, honey."

She gave him a combative smile. "Alright, Charles, honey, I don't want to talk about this matter, so let's leave it. Would you like to eat something or not? "

To her surprise, he gave her a wide grin, but flinched again and put a hand to his mouth, the crack in his lower lip had open again. "You know, you've been bossing me pretty much since we two are not in the hospital anymore ... I almost expected you to leave so fast you'd just leave a cloud of dust behind you, instead, you turned in one little bitch. What's going on? "

Liz only shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know how to start to explain it. It had something to do with being taken to a hospital. By the fact that these people had instilled her medication ... And with those damn bandages around their wrists ... She looked down and touched one of the patches, feeling the wound underneath it … When she lifted her head, she met Chaz' eyes.

A well-known expression lay in his them. Compassion and understanding were reflected in them. He reached for her hands, pushing her fingers away from the wound. "You'll have worked your way out of this hole before, in whatever you got into it this time, you'll get yourself out of it again. Leslie and I are here to help you. "

Liz narrowed her eyes and pulled her hands from his. The compassion in his eyes got on her nerves. Anger rose in her, hot, strong and devastating, and she wanted to break free. A dark, scary memory moved somewhere in her mind. She couldn't say exactly what had happened that night ... and didn't know if she wanted to know. She saw Waterston, saw blurry pictures of Chaz ... He had been in serious trouble, so much she remembered. But she hadn't done that to herself. She knew that as sure as she knew her own name, as sure as she knew her eye and hair color. And she was so fed up that people thought otherwise. Even Chaz and Leslie ... who always trusted her, always believed in her and stood by her side. He thought that she was so weak that she dared to slit her wrists while he lay helpless and bleeding on the ground. She turned and walked down the steps, unsure where to go, and she wouldn't walk around alone in the area, but she didn't want to go into the house either. Disappointment and anger seized her, and even before she realized it, her emotions boiled over. Immediately she whirled around and glared at Chaz. "I haven't done that."

For an infinitely long moment, he stared at her as if he couldn't quite understand what she had said. "What do you mean," he then asked in a deep, raspy voice.

"Well, that I didn't do that." She stormed back up the steps, almost trembling as this unknown, raging fury ran through her. She knew fear. She knew uncertainty. She knew doubts. And anger. But to be so angry? She did not know that. She barely understood it and could only control herself with difficulty when it burst out of her. With trembling hands, she loosened the bandages, tore them down and dropped them to the floor. The stitches lifted ugly from her olive flesh, the fine red scars glowing fresh. She held out her wrists to Chaz and stared at him. "This," she snorted. "I didn't do that. Hell, I didn't do it myself."

"Liz -"

"Stop that Oh, that'll be all right again, Charles. Could you please think for a moment? You were lying on the floor, you were injured and bleeding, you're the only person who still means something to me, do you really believe that I would happily slit my wrists in this situation?" Tears of anger, pain, fear took away her vision and ran down her cheeks. Angrily, she wiped them off and blinked at him. "Think about it, Chaz!"

He stared at her for a long moment ... then he understood. "That son of a bitch." He growled low, whirling around and ramming his left fist with such force in the wall that the plaster crumbled.

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Percy stared at the hour hand of the kitchen clock and tried not to show how uncomfortable he felt. His uncle had called his dad and told the old man he needed to talk to them both. He glanced aside to see if his father had any idea what was going on, but he couldn't have looked more disinterested. In his eyes, blue like Percy's, blue like Adam's, lay an absent expression as he stared at his monitor, probably answering emails again. But honestly, how many damn emails could an insurance agent get?

Dad spent more time being an insurance agent than being a dad. After all, he already had enough responsibility. Insurance agent Henry, Hank, Laverty didn't want to skip out on his customers ... he had just forgotten his son.

He let him down every damn day. That's how it has been since Mom died. Percy just didn't exist anymore. For no one ... He noticed that tears were burning in his eyes and got up violently from the chair. His dad looked up.

Percy wandered to the fridge and asked, "Did Uncle Adam say when he's coming or how long the shit here should last? I have other things to do, you know."

"No, he didn't say that and don't curse like that, Percy." With lips pressed together, his father glanced at the clock. "If he doesn't come soon, I'll call him, there's work to do for me and -"

Then they heard an engine.

Outside, they saw a dented pickup turn off the road and drive toward their house.

"Who is that," Hank asked, frowning, then let out a sigh. "I really don't have time for that," he mumbled.

Percy hardly heard the old man. He stared at the pickup, and the blood rushed in his ears. Uncle Adam didn't drive such a car ... but Trent Newman did. At the thought, Percy's heart dropped - he straightened his back, so his legs wouldn't shake, and told himself to stay calm. So, he put on a bored expression and took a coke from the fridge. Hell, Newman should suspect whom he wanted. Maybe he didn't know anything. Percy took a long swig of the bubbling, cold liquid, trying to soothe his nervous stomach. But then the pickup stopped, and Trent Newman didn't get out alone.

When Percy saw his uncle Adam, his heart almost stopped. Crap. Okay, his uncle appeared with Newman. That wasn't good. Strangely enough, he remembered all the stupid police shows that his dad loved to watch. And had to remember that he always wondered why the hell people were trying to run away. They would be caught anyway. That's how it always went. But at that moment Percy thought of nothing else but running. He wanted to run away more than anything else. He didn't notice how firmly he closed his hand around the can of soda until the cool liquid ran over his hand.

"He's going to run," Newman said low, who was watching Percy through a window while he parked the car in front of the house. He made a face, rubbed his thigh and asked himself if he was able to run after a scared, desperate teenager.

"It can happen." Adam's features were petrified, the look of his blue eyes icy.

"Do you think, he gets up to something?"

"Damn it." Adam gave Newman a scowl. His usual charming cheerfulness was overshadowed by stress and grief. He looked tired. Tired and depressed. "The boy burned a house, damn it, yes, I think he could get up to something."

Newman was sorry for the man and he shook his head. "I didn't mean that houses, well ... sure, they burn, but no one got hurt, and he didn't get hurt either. But do you think we'll regret that we didn't take backup with us?"

"God, I hope not," Adam replied before he got out of the pickup. Yes, Adam could imagine Percy running, just as the older detective. The boy's big blue eyes were darker than usual, the pupils were enlarged. In addition, his face looked pale and sweat was on his forehead. He wondered why his brother didn't notice any of the signs. Hank had always been someone who focused on the big goal, but Adam had thought that included his family, too. Apparently, he was wrong, because his brother didn't even start to suspect what was going on in his son. But that was what the man has been like this for quite some time. Since Sherly's death.

Adam led Newman into the kitchen.

"I hope this isn't going to be that long, Adam. A lot of work is waiting for me, and the fact that you don't show up until half an hour later than announced doesn't make it any better."

"Sit down, Hank," Adam said calmly. "It's important."

His brother looked at him with narrowed eyes. "There's a lot of paperwork in my office, I have to answer calls, there's a meeting this evening, and there are plenty of other important things I have to do."

"The matter should take precedence," Adam replied. Should ... but would it? He just couldn't evaluate the situation. As he sat down at the table, he was careful not to look at either Newman or Percy, though he was watching the boy out of the corner of his eye.

The older detective did the same thing unobtrusively.

Adam took a deep breath. "This is Trent Newman." He introduced the man to his brother.

"June Newman's grandson," Hank said, nodding. "I heard what happened to June's old house. I am really sorry about it. If I can do anything for you -"

"That's why we're here," Adam said and looked at Percy. The boy was staring into nothing. Beneath the thin fabric of his black shirt, his shoulders stiffened in horror. He looked like he was about to break. "Percy," Adam spoke to him in a calm voice. His nephew stared at the table and clenched his teeth so that the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Look at me, kid," Adam demanded. He still remembered Percy as a baby, a screaming, helpless bundle. He still remembered him holding him in his arms and watching him take his first steps ... how he had held him after falling to the ground and crying. He remembered how the boy had sobbed when his mother Sherly had died ... and how Adam had taken him in his arms. "Percy."

Slowly the teenager lifted his head.

"What the hell is going on, Adam?" Hank interfered harshly.

At the sound of his father's voice, Percy winced, withdrawing again from one second to the other.

Adam felt the boy clamping up, his face hard, just like his eyes.

Sighing, Adam opened his briefcase and took out the golden cross.

That was enough to bring Percy's thin facade of bravery down. His expression reflected fear, fear, realization ... and suddenly relief.

"I think we should talk, kid," Adam stated.

Hank stared at the pendant and looked first to Percy, then to Adam. "What the hell does that mean?" He asked coldly. For the first time since Adam arrived, Hank looked straight at his son.

Dear God, maybe it was the first time in two years. Cursing, Hank yanked the necklace from Adam's hands. After staring at it for a moment, he threw it on the table and took a step toward his son. "What the hell have you done, Percy?"

If they could have stopped Hank somehow …

Newman witnessed how the fairly promising situation turned into a total disaster within seconds. The boy had almost opened up to his uncle, Newman had seen the relief in Percy's tear-filled gaze. But then his father had to open his mouth. Still, the older man had to admit that he was impressed by how the boy faced the situation.

"It was an accident. Well, mostly." The boy looked from his father to Newman, holding his gaze, and said haltingly," I'm sorry, Mr. Newman. I was just pissed. Not even because of you. It was just ... well, just because of everything. And then Uncle Adam also annoyed me because of these flowers. I know that I am to blame for it myself, but I didn't think properly, and ... and ... and ... well. I'm sorry."

Newman nodded and looked at Adam, who reached into his briefcase. But before he could say a word, Hank grabbed the boy by one of his thin arms and yanked him off the chair. Newman could see Percy's skin turn white under the tight grip. That would give bruises, that much he already knew.

"What are you sorry for? You're telling me right now what you did. I didn't raise a goddamned good-for-nothing. "

"Jesus, Hank. That's enough." Adam sounded cool and controlled, which was the opposite of his angry brother.

Hank looked at his brother. "You stay out of it. It's none of your business. " He growled.

"Oh, no? I still belong to the family. And in case your little brain has forgotten it: Arson is a felony, I'll tell you that as a cop."

Hank looked back to his son. "Arson. So, you really did it. Damn it, boy. Admit it. Damn it, be a man and admit what you did to this house. Spill it! "

Percy blinked away the tears and looked his father in the eye. "I lit it, Dad."

"You little snotty brat! Your mother would be ashamed of you, I'm just glad she doesn't have to go through this, "Hank growled in a furious voice. "If she would be here now, this would kill her."

"I am sorry!" The boy lost his composure. Again, tears threatened to fall.

Newman wouldn't soon forget that expression. "It's enough now," he said quietly, pushing himself away from the counter.

But Hank ignored him. "You are sorry." The man shook his head. "After all, what I've done to offer you a good life, are you doing that, and you think it's enough that you're sorry?"

Suddenly, Percy let out a laugh, it was an ugly, throaty sound. "A good life?" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "That's what you are calling a good life? You never look at me. You don't want to know anything of me. You probably wish I'd died instead of Mom. "

"At least, I wouldn't have to clean up the mess you left behind." Hank roared with a crimson face and raised his hand.

Newman was the first who reacted and set in motion just in time. He briefly threatened to lose his balance, but he didn't care but clenched his jaw. He grabbed the man's upraised hand, turned around and used Hank's swing to push his upper body onto the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Percy disappear through the back door, but that was his least concern right now. While Hank tried to fight him off, Newman hissed, "That, good man, was no heroic act."

"My God, let go of me," Hank growled.

"Sure, once you've calmed down, but if you think I'm going to watch you beating the boy, you're wrong, life has been bad enough for him already ... and you haven't been a big help either." Glancing at Adam, he thought that the man was staring at his brother like he was a stranger.

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Liz ...

He could see her, right there, pacing up and down on the porch. Why didn't she come down the stairs? Why didn't she come a little closer to him?

A gust of wind blew her long, shiny brown hair out of her face.

He closed his eyes and imagined how he wrapped this long strand of hair around his wrist as she knelt before him. A mixture of desire, hunger and anger bubbled in him. With the appetizing view, he had to lean on a tree trunk to control himself, not to approach closer.

This was not the right moment ...

Not this time.

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He really wishes I was dead.

Percy wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stormed past bushes and low-hanging branches. Tears were burning in his eyes, blocking his vision, but he didn't stop. After he had run eternities, his lungs had burned so that he had to stop, and now he just kept walking.

He didn't even know exactly where he was. Somewhere in the forest, near the Ohlman property, he assumed. Maybe near Chaz' and Leslie's house. Anyway, it was definitely too close to his own place. He just wanted to keep going.

With faint hope for a miracle, he put his hands in his pockets and checked the contents again. Maybe his silly seventeen dollars would multiply. He really just wanted to leave. His dad wouldn't miss him anyway.

Maybe Adam, but after all Percy had done, he certainly hated him too. A sob escaped his throat, he stumbled and sank against a tree. "That was not intentional," he whispered. "It was not intentional ..." But now it was too late to think about it. He had done it. He screwed everything up, and now not only did his dad hate him but probably also Uncle Adam. At least Adam had loved him so far, but he didn't even have that anymore.

Percy pushed away from the tree and began to move again. For now, he would just keep walking. He would think of something sooner or later. He didn't want to go home, his dad clearly didn't want him anyway.

Hours passed before he finally found himself in front of Newman's house, too far away to see properly, but close enough to see the outline of the ruin. He was responsible for this condition.

Jesus, his mother really would be ashamed. Tears came to his eyes again, but he blinked them away. Enough wailing. He had to think about what to do next. With a shudder, he thought of how his dad had looked at him. Going back home? Could he do that?

Maybe he should just go to Adam. "What would you want, Mom?" He whispered. He had really screwed thinks ... If he made a mistake, then he had to be in charge, she always had said. That's what decent people did, and that's what she would do. He swallowed hard and turned away. The only right thing was to go to Adam. His stomach cramped. He'd had enough trouble lately to know that it wouldn't be a picnic, but ... "Don't think about it," he said to himself. "Just don't think about it, do it, get it behind you, but don't think about it."

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He had forgotten how dark it could be in the forest. With his hands in his pockets, Percy stumbled forward, concentrating on the dim glow in front of him. He didn't know exactly whose house it was, but basically, he did not care.

It was not his house, and that was the main thing. Whoever lived there he'd ask to use the phone and then call his uncle. He shuddered as he thought of what awaited him hit his mind, but he had to do it. At least, he wasn't ...

Someone stepped out from behind a tree.

Percy's mind stopped.

Given the dusk, his headache, and how heavy his heart was, he almost thought the whole thing could be a nightmare. The man was wrapped in camouflage clothes from head to toe. He had even smeared his face, and his eyes were behind some sort of goggles that made him look more than strange. Percy could have handled that. But the man held a gun in his hand. He cocked his head and studied Percy as if he were a kind of lab rat. Staring at him ... as if he had already stopped existing for this wacko.

Percy heard his own breath, felt the cold sweat trickle down his spine and the blood drumming in his ears. Panic seized him, and suddenly all his anger at his father disappeared in smoke, he just wanted to go home to dad. Very fast.

He swallowed dryly, frozen in fear, but he knew he needed to move.

With a serenity that seemed almost inhuman, the man raised his head ... and slowly also the gun.

Percy jumped behind one of the trees and started to run. It was as if the branches were reaching for him. Roots seemed to grow out of the earth and wind around its feet. He stumbled, fell, got up again and kept going.

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Stupid little jerk ...

Annoyed, he withdrew into the forest again. He had planned something exciting that night, but now he had to think it over. He still wanted to watch her. He wanted to take a closer look ... Maybe he even let her know that he was here. He probably would have handled the boy somehow, but that was not intended.

He had to stick to his plan because as soon as one deviated from it, things got out of hand. After a last look back to the house, he made his way through the forest. It was not a problem to wait. After all, he was a patient man.

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"Did you try to call her?"

Jane was chewing on her thumbnail and wondered if she should answer her. Then she looked with a sigh at her wife. "No, I don't think that she wants to talk to me again for today."

"Well, you fought from the beginning. Without talking about it, you can't get it out of the way," Maura said quietly, sitting down next to the brunette on the couch and wrapped Jane's arm around her shoulders.

Jane tugged the smaller woman closer. "I know. But I -" Jane got up from the couch with a sigh and walked around in the room, sipping her beer. "She isn't really talking to me. She only told me what she'd remembered and didn't even try why she disappeared. Jeez, even Puck now punishes me with disrespect."

Maura laughed and looked at the dog who was sleeping in his bed. Liz brought the dog home shortly before she left five years ago, back then the shorthaired Belgian shepherd was still a puppy, and he loved the younger Rizzoli woman. "I know, he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore either."

"That's probably my fault, the dog always notices when she's angry, and then gets upset as well, he'll only calm down when she does," Jane spoke from experience, she spoke of the past without noticing. "Maura, I miss her."

Jane looked really miserable when Maura looked into her brown eyes. "I know, that's why you have to make a decision, you can't assume that it will just be okay if you don't talk about it."

Jane looked down. Lost in thought, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Maybe ... maybe Adam can bring her to dinner tomorrow, so I could talk to her?"

"You'll think of something." Maura got up and kissed her lips. "But now go back to work before you have a clarifying conversation."

The Italian growled low and furrowed her brows. "Slave driver."

Maura smiled broadly. "I love you, too."

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"And how is Liz coping with that," Leslie asked, taking a fork full of pasta in her mouth.

"I don't know. Jesus, it seems she can handle it better than I do, but somehow I'm expecting all the time that she -"

"Breaks down?"

"Yes." Chaz hated himself for saying that, and even thinking it.

"I think you underestimate her." Leslie sighed, put the fork aside and raised his eyebrows. "She ... Well, she looks quite fragile and she went through hell, but sometimes people realize in just such moments what they are really made of. I have the impression Liz is getting to the point that it's enough for her. I think she has had enough already."

That's what Chaz wanted to believe, but everything she had been through, he wondered why she hadn't reached that point much sooner. If anyone could get her to that point, then William Hanley, her ex-boyfriend and cop killer, who was serving his life sentence in a super-max. But that had not happened. Instead, this son of a bitch almost destroyed her for years. "I don't know, Leslie. Yes, she went through hell, you should think she should have reached such a point a long time ago."

She shrugged. "Maybe he, I suppose there was a man, pressed the wrong buttons. This time she is not the only one who got hurt. You got hurt as well. "She turned her mouth to a grim smile and shook her head." You have no idea what she was like when you were in a coma, Chaz. Liz looked like a different person."

"Damn." He snorted. "Since we were released from the hospital, it is like she's a different person, it's almost like ... Well, in the past she was always the quiet but also rather belligerent, you know that. Those who didn't know Liz would never have thought that of her, but she has always held her point. And then ... Well, I can't say that now, after all, that's her business. Anyway, in the last five years, I had the feeling that this part of her had died. For a few days, it seems like it's back, but I'm not sure. I don't want to believe she's okay and miss something important because I'm not looking closely at it."

Leslie laughed briefly. Then she stopped, took a sip of her red wine and licked her lips. "Chaz, honey ... don't get me wrong, but I doubt you could miss something important," she said softly. "You don't even miss the tiniest details, if there's something wrong with Liz then you'll notice, but seriously, you have to step back a little ... and trust her, let her get back on her feet, and if her life was such a hell and she is now trying to stand on her own again, then she has to go through that ... alone. "

Chaz sighed, perhaps his wife was right. But when the porch door creaked, he involuntarily got up. Behind him, Leslie chuckled. "That's exactly what I mean, Chaz."

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She could hear Chaz talking to Leslie. As she slipped into the kitchen, Leslie laughed. Liz pushed out of the back door and winced as it creaked the moment she closed it behind her. Oh, man, hopefully, Chaz hadn't heard that ... But he didn't turn up at immediately. He was chatting with his wife, probably also about her. Adam had shown up shortly before dinner and talked to either of them. Neither Leslie nor Chaz told her why Adam came by without wanting her to see.

They kept their voices low, whispering and mumbling while Liz was about to scream.

She was so nervous that she felt a tingle on her skin, but she didn't want to run again.

She had enough of running away from every problem. The problem always followed her, she couldn't leave it behind. She had enough of the way Chaz looked at her, as if she was about to break down any moment, even though his worries had been justified. A hot feeling spread in her stomach as she buried her face in her hands. Just because she had lost her nerve before it didn't necessarily mean it would happen again. He didn't have to be around her 24/7 and take care of her as if she would be made of porcelain, so fragile. She heard the door open behind her and glanced over her shoulder. "Damn it, Chaz, I'm just sitting on the porch, I'm fine, and I want to be alone."

"I just wanted to ask if you might want to have a jacket. Or coffee ..."

Liz suppressed a moan, got up and turned to face him. "That's not true. You want to control me, make sure I don't freak out or panic, get a nervous breakdown, grab my belongings or do whatever you're worried about, I'm fine, Chaz, and I have to be alone." When he pressed his lips together, she almost has taken back everything, at least she knew that he was just so worried because she was important to him ...

"Fuck, Liz, what am I supposed to do? Do dances of joy?" He growled. He took carefully her hands in his own, so he wouldn't touch her wounds, and held them into the light. "Someone did this to you and tried to kill you. And I shouldn't be worried about that? "

With narrowed eyes, she pressed a finger right on the swelling under his left eye.

He immediately winced and let go of her hands. "What the fuck, Liz!"

"You're not in the pink either, my friend. You were beaten black and blue by the same person who did this to me, if you really want to worry about me, fine, I'm also worried about you, but I don't bow and scrape around you."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not the same."

"Of course, it isn't," she whispered. She looked at her wrists again and sighted. "It's not the same because I am me … Me, the one who always is afraid and is too weak to defend herself. But, God, how is it going to get any better if you try to be by my side all the time?"

"Liz, I don't try -" Chaz sighed and became quiet. He ran a hand through his hair "I'm just - Damn, I don't know how to handle the situation. I wanted you to be here, so you could feel safe and to start to process everything. And now look at what happened to you."

"This is not your fault." Liz looked away. "None of us could foresee this, I mean how could we? But, Chaz, for heaven's sake, you have to stop to mother me. Because of that I feel boxed in. I'm feeling fine, really. And I need some freedom, otherwise, I'll go nuts." She hated that sad, pathetic look in his eyes that she couldn't take away ... or didn't want to. Instead, she turned her back to him and refused to look at him. At some point, she heard him going back into the house, but still didn't turn around. Thoughtfully, she stared up at the dark sky. All she wanted to do was to sit on the porch. She could do that, though. She looked back at her wrists and sighed heavily.

Tomorrow she had to go to the BPD and file a complaint. Although it probably was a waste of time, nobody believed her anyway. Either people thought she was crazy and suicidal, or they thought she was crazy and wanted to hurt her best friend.

After all, she would meet with Trent Newman. An old colleague who was always unbiased.

Something rustled behind the trees. A branch cracked. Liz jerked her head up, holding her breath. She almost ran back into the house, okay, maybe she didn't realize that she couldn't handle sitting outside alone. Then a boy staggered out of the woods. A boy ... He cried and was about her size. Still, he was just a kid whose face looked oddly familiar to her.

Instead of retreating into the house, she jumped down the two steps of the porch and ran across the lawn toward him. "Hey, are you alright?"

The door opened behind her, but Liz barely noticed that. She met the boy's gaze. He is terrified.

He grabbed her by the upper arm. His Adam's apple hopped up and down as if he could barely speak without sobbing.

"There ... there was somebody in the forest," he blurted out, his voice cracking, as it so often happens with pubescent boys. In his panic, he unconsciously tightened his grip, as if to make sure she was really standing in front of her.

His big blue eyes were the most noticeable feature in the slender face, which seemed incredibly familiar to her. "Someone's walking around ... in the woods," he whispered. He glanced fearfully over his shoulder before looking at her again. Suddenly, the panic left his eyes and he released her arm to reach for her hand. This touch seemed incredibly familiar to her, too. "He had a gun and he was back there. We are not safe here. We should go inside and call the police or something like that. "

When the boy dragged her to the house, Liz noticed Chaz, who was standing on the porch with his usual frown.

"Percy, Jesus, your uncle is looking for you everywhere. He's worried sick." He scolded.

"Chaz." Liz stopped him and frowned. Not just because of the whole situation but also because now she knew why the boy looked so familiar to her. He was her very own nephew. The last time I've seen him … Okay, that's five years ago. But I should have noticed him anyway.

However, Chaz paid no attention to her, instead of pointing to the house behind him. "Get in, Percy, go ahead and call Adam."

Liz stepped protectively in front of Percy, she carefully loosened his grip, he was as thin as a rake but damn strong. "Shit, Chaz, come off it, the boy is in a complete tizzy. He says he saw someone in the forest."

Chaz narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Percy. "Is that true?"

The teenager ran the back of his hand over his mouth. "He …a gun. He had a gun."

"A gun?" Leslie stood in the door to the porch. "Is that correct?"

Chaz' face turned dark and he nodded in the direction of his house. "Get inside the house, Percy. Call Adam. He's looking everywhere for you, kid. After you've done that, you tell me everything about the person you have seen."

As the teenager ran into the house, Liz stood there taken aback. "Percy."

Chaz nodded slowly. "It has been five years, Liz. Come on, we should get inside."

When the door closed behind them, she realized that it was only a matter of minutes before Adam appeared here. Liz had to swallow. Her heart began to throb. For a moment, she wondered if she should lock herself in her room and come out when the whole thing was over. Then she closed her eyes and reasoned herself. No. You stop running away, have you already forgotten that?

However, a part of her still wanted to hide in her room. She had begun to face her past, and she didn't want to run away from the things that scared her anymore either. But Adam didn't just scare her.

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As they turned into the long driveway that led to Chaz' house, Hank opened his eyes. "Chaz said he was fine, right?"

"Yeah, he is fine. He seems to be pretty shaken, though. Something in the woods scared him to death."

Hank nodded. There was a sad, bashful expression on his face, and he sighed. "You know I'd rather kick my ass for the things I said earlier, right? I love my son, Adam, you know that. But the last two years ... they've been hell."

"Do you think they weren't for him, too? He's still a child and has lost his mother, he probably doesn't think that he still has a dad. You don't pay any attention to him, Hank. Shit, even a blind man sees it. He probably thinks that his father wouldn't love him anymore, but wished he was dead. " Adam said bitterly. He suffered with his brother, but more so with Percy. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking in the rearview mirror. His own son was asleep in the booster seat, dead to the world.

He was so angry at Hank that he wanted to grab that idiot by the shoulders and shake him, shake him or hit him. As long as the man finally woke up and understood what he did to his son. Percy was so confused, unhappy, and scared. Adam never thought he would ever be ashamed of his brother ... but right now? He was. Sure, people who mourn were often not completely in control of themselves, but he just couldn't believe what Hank had come up with, what he might have done if Newman hadn't been so serene at the moment. "Percy deserves better, Hank," he added with a shake of his head. "So much better."

"I know, I have to work hard to get those things right between us." Hank sighed. "Of course, it's all my fault, but you also know that Percy is having problems, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had come up with this story about a man with a gun just to distract himself from the trouble he faces."

The thought had come to Adam too. But in his opinion, Percy has already been charged with enough crap. He would not rashly condemn his nephew for that. Not yet. "He deserves better for the last two years," Adam repeated softly. "And he deserves that we at least listen to him without having judged him already, maybe you can't, but I can, and I will."

Headlights illuminated in the rearview mirror. As Adam parked in front of Chaz's house, he recognized Frankie's car in the darkness. He grimaced and watched the older man get out.

"I'm wondering why you did not tell me about Newman's house and Percy," Frankie said.

"I have not planned that either." Adam nodded to the house. "He's in there."

Frankie eyed Hank for a brief moment. He didn't like the man and how he treated his own son. And he liked him even less after what Newman had told him what had happened in his kitchen. "Hank."

Hank cocked his head. "Frankie, I ... well, as you hopefully understand, that was a pretty tough day, I just couldn't think quite straight."

"I like to think so, but your son doesn't seem to be thinking clearly for a while, so maybe you concern yourself about that," Frankie said bluntly, turning to the house.

Hank pressed his lips together. "I am aware of that, believe me."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, then he opened the back door of his car and got his sleeping son out of the booster seat. This day probably wouldn't get any better. After the men reached the front door, he knocked and promptly experienced another surprise. He should have been prepared to meet her here. Actually. But when the door opened, and Liz stood before him, framed by light, with a sad, withdrawn expression in dreamy brown eyes, Adam's heart almost stopped. At the sight of her, he just couldn't keep his composure. Or rather, what her sight did to him, his mind, his body, his emotions. Crap. Oh, shit, I really don't need that right now. Lust rose in him, grabbed his throat, taking his breath away while the blood throbbed in his veins. That was the last woman in the world to desire. She only brought trouble. The woman had a lot of problems just to name one of the reasons why he didn't need this right now-

He rubbed carefully the back of his son when the boy started to stir a little. Actually, he didn't want to take Zane with him, but at this time of night, he didn't want to ask or even wake Jane and Maura.

Liz' eyes fell at the small boy and swallowed hard the moment she realized who that boy was.

Behind him, Frankie cleared his throat. Hank, who had mastered himself with difficulty, pushed Adam aside and pushed himself impatiently into the house. He passed Liz closely. Too close according to her expression. Her eyes changed, she jerked away, avoiding him, and turned away her face ... hiding her fear.

Suddenly, his burning desire changed to anger. This fear, where did it come from, what did it cause? What in the hell was she constantly afraid of? It itched his fingers to touch her face, to brush her dark hair from her forehead and promise her that she wouldn't need to be afraid anymore.

Jesus.

When she glanced at him, Adam remembered that he needed to stay away from this woman.

You are not running. You are not running, Liz told herself when the three men entered the house.

Frankie stopped beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Only a month ago she would have flinched, but now she could give him an insecure smile as he asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"Quite alright." He looked at her with a sharp, intelligent look at her, whereupon her smile grew thin and died. "Okay, maybe not so good, but at least I'm still here."

With a nod, Frankie stroked her arm. Then, after closing the door, he laid an arm around her shoulders in a friendly, casual gesture that she couldn't avoid without feeling silly. "Who's nursing the two of you back to health, Chaz nurses you or are you nursing Chaz?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam with the toddler in his arms, fully aware that he was watching her. Then she felt her blush, trying to concentrate on Frankie, on all sorts of things, not how nervous the other man was making her. "Um, probably both. He's tired and in pain, which is not surprising, because he doesn't want to take the medication. "

"And you?"

Frankie didn't look at her wrists, but that was not necessary. She knew what his question implied. Tension spread in her chest, and she broke away from him, suddenly unable to bear his touch even though it just had felt ... well, almost nice. Almost like a casual, friendly hug from Chaz. Now she wasn't in the mood for a casual, friendly hug anymore - she was angry. "I'm fine," she replied sharply. Then she stomped past Adam, Frankie, and the silent Hank into the kitchen, where she sat down at the table with Chaz, Leslie, and Percy. "We have visitors, Chaz," she said coolly as she caught Chaz's gaze.

Leslie quirked an eyebrow. "Aha, what has Frankie done?"

The older man entered the kitchen. "I didn't know that I have done something wrong."

"He hasn't," Liz confirmed with a calm voice. She also wouldn't approach the topic right now. Not as long as her nephew would be here. Perfect, now she concentrated on Percy.

Percy sat with his head down and shoulders hunched at the table. His body became even stiffer as Hank came into the kitchen. A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell over them like a wet, cold blanket. Adam came to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. Well, kid, "he said softly.

Percy briefly glanced up at him, then stared back at the tabletop.

It was so incredibly quiet that Liz could hear the ticking of the clock.

Finally, Hank broke the silence by approaching her. He gave her an affable, seasoned smile ... of an insurance agent. "I'm sorry if he imposed on you."

He wanted to shake her hand, but she quickly hooked her thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans, taking care not to rub her wrists along the seams on her pants. Frowning, she answered, "Percy is terrified, he isn't a burden, Hank."

Leslie smirked, and Frankie cleared his throat, Chaz rolled his eyes.

Hank tilted his head and looked at his son. "Come on, Percy. Let's go home. We still have a lot to talk about."

Liz started to say something, anything, but then she said nothing and looked over at the boy. He looked sad, scared ... and lonely. She didn't know what kind of problems he had, but she knew the feeling sad, scared and lonely. If you were cut off from your surroundings and that there was nobody who could help, who listened.

"Maybe you should listen to what happened," Chaz said behind her in a calm voice.

But the insurance agent shook his head. "Percy can tell me about it at home. In private. We have a lot to talk about. And he took enough of your time."

Liz backed away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Chaz' expression, saw his lips pressed together. That reassured her, at least she was not the only one who didn't like the way the man dealt with his frightened child.

Of course, Chaz expressed his disapproval. "Yes, sure, your personal affairs are more important than the fact that Percy met someone near my property in the woods, and that guy had a gun that he used to point at your son, no offense, Hank, but I dare to doubt that you are setting the right priorities."

"My son -"

"Hank." Adam stood up and placed a hand on the shoulder of Percy, Zane was protesting with a whimper and Liz' eyes shot up automatically.

She stared at the man without realizing what he was saying next. Despite her determination not to look at him or think about him, she just couldn't take her eyes off him.

The two men assessed each other. But as Adam appeared to be warm, Hank looked cold.

Hank looked at Chaz, then at the boy. "All right, Percy, tell us what's going on."

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After the teenager told his story, everyone was on alert. Not because Percy had burnt down a house, but because of the hooded man who was walking around nearby and willing to shoot anyone who bothered him. After the story was over, Frankie offered Hank and Percy to drive them home.

Liz walked Adam to the door and frowned a little, she looked at the still sleeping boy and wanted to touch him, to run a hand through his hair only to make him look at her. Instead, she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans and sighed."

It seemed like Adam didn't want to leave either. He cleared his throat. "Thanks for taking care of Percy."

She smiled tightly and shrugged. "I almost didn't recognize him. He got so tall."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "He did."

"I didn't know that they are living in Boston now. Why didn't Sherly came to pick Percy up?"

He was silent for a moment, looking down at his still-sleeping son. Then he clenched his teeth. "Sherly died two years ago, that's why Hank and Percy moved to Boston."

Liz' eyes went wide, and she blushed. She blushed because she seemed to have torn an old wound open, but at the same time, she understood why the teenager looked so lost. "I didn't -"

"How could you," Adam asked when she trailed off and shrugged lightly. "Since Percy lost you and his mother … he became a troublemaker."

"I had to leave, Adam," she whispered on the edge of tears.

"Why?" He whispered back and brushed the skin of her arm with his fingertips. He wasn't sure what made him touch her, but he couldn't suppress the need to do so any longer.

She closed her eyes and wanted to step away from him. Instead, she swallowed hard and opened her mouth to answer his question. She wanted to get over with it, she wanted a lot of things. She wanted the time back that has been stolen from her five years ago, she wanted to be able watching her son growing up, she wanted to be a part of Zane's life, she wanted to be a part of Adam's life. Now, she wanted to stand on her toes and kiss the man in front of her. She wanted to …

"Mommy," a tiny voice asked sleepily.

The question pulled her out of the train of thoughts, she looked down at the boy, who was now looking at her with bleary eyes, and her heart dropped. She couldn't think, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak right now.

Zane tried to wriggle out of his father's arms and looked at a frown at him because Adam didn't let go of him and Liz started to chew on the inside of her cheek.

Now, she understood that everything that her mothers had told her had been true, that they really told Zane about her, and that the kid must think that she was a part of his life the whole time, but she wasn't. She missed important stages. That's why she didn't even try to take Zane from Adam's arms.

Zane huffed and still try to wriggle out of Adam's arms. "Why?" The child grunted annoyed.

Liz' eyebrows shot up high and looked at the man in front of her.

Adam rolled his eyes in amusement. He knew well why the boy recognized his mother immediately and tried to reach her. Every single night after Liz had left them, he told Zane about all the adventures he and Liz had experienced before Zane was born, about their life and work in a children's version. And that she'd be always a part of Zane, no matter where she'd be.

He sighed and released his son because he wouldn't stop anyway.

"Oh." Liz gasped the second Zane climbed into her arms and glanced at him like she didn't know what to do, at the same time something stirred in her chest. "Okay."

Zane scrutinized her with intense brown eyes like he was trying to figure out that he didn't mistake this woman for his mother, then he buried his face in her neck, mumbling. "Hi, Mommy." He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world, and Liz exhaled shakily and held the boy close to her with threatening tears in her eyes. She was longing for a moment like this for so many years and had imagined all kind of horror scenarios of the day she might come back into Zane's life, but a scenario like did, she didn't think of. She closed her eyes and the tears ran down her cheeks. "Hi," she whispered, and a smile was around her lips. "Hi, baby."


	4. Chapter 4

Jane stood in front of Chaz' front door where her daughter currently was living and frowned deeply. She wasn't sure why she wasn't able to knock at the door at that moment and to face her daughter. She reasoned that she was afraid she could lose her composure the moment she lay her eyes on Liz. She knew that it was a bad idea to turn on her heels and disappear again without even trying it, but she considered it.

She took a deep breath and knocked, Leslie opened the door and let the older woman in without saying a word. She didn't say a word either and followed the redhead in a sunroom. She rounded the corner and held her breath as soon as her eyes landed on the woman who sat on a wooden chair. She didn't expect that Liz would look so small and helpless these days, but she expected that her daughter would stare outside the window even though someone else was present in the room. She still remembered how she started to panic the moment her daughter felt sick as a small child and Maura wasn't around. How she nearly freaked out and how Liz reassured her that she'd feel better after some rest.

She heaved a sigh and dropped a briefcase that held her personal notes loudly on the table in front of the younger woman and took her jacket off, trying to avoid glancing at the bandages around Liz' wrists. She could play the game, too. The game of being distant. "Didn't your mother teach you that it is rude to ignore your guests?"

"Seems like I missed that part, yeah," the younger woman mumbled still without looking at her mother.

Jane clenched her jaw and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Seems like you've been missing a lot of things she taught you." She snapped, she didn't mean to, but she couldn't hold back her upcoming anger.

That comment made Liz turn her head and her eyes were hard. "Why are you here?"

Jane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why I'm … Your still my daughter after all."

"I can't change that fact."

That was it! Jane took the briefcase from the table again, and then her jacket. "You know what? I didn't come here only to face you, ungrateful snotty little miss. I came here to help you."

"And I didn't ask for your help." Liz shot back and clenched her jaw the second she saw the pain in her mother's eyes. "I didn't ask for you to come here."

Jane threw her briefcase back on the table and furrowed her brows. "Are you not hearing what I'm saying, kid? I am your mother! It is my job to be here and help you, it is my job to be worried about you. Just because you've been ignoring these duties for years, it doesn't mean I'm doing the same."

Anger blazed in Liz' eyes and she clenched her fists like she was about to attack the other woman. Jane, on the other hand, wasn't impressed by the move and folded her arms over her chest. She wasn't afraid of picking up a fight with Liz because she knew she'd win it. "You got something to say?"

"You have no clue why I ran." The younger woman growled. "You shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about."

Jane was sure that Liz had to bite back the word Ma and sighed again. "Then tell me why you thought you had to run, Liz. Tell me why you disappeared for five years because -" She paused and shrugged. "Because I don't get it. Have your mom and I had been such bad parents that you didn't see a reason to talk to us? That you didn't confide in us? Has your marriage been so awful that you didn't see any other way than to leave Adam and your newborn son behind?" She stopped and furled her brows. "Do you have an idea what you put your mother through the moment you left without a second thought? What you put all of us through? Adam was looking for you everywhere he could, Mom contacted every possible hospital and morgue, hoping that you wouldn't turn up in any of them. I pushed all my contacts in the U.S to look out for you and to give me a call the second they get a hint where you could be. We thought that you are dead and ended up in a morgue as a Jane Doe. That someone got you, murdered you, and dumped you in a roadside ditch. Mom has been crying every single night, for years. And when Zane turned old enough and started to ask where you are, we told him that you are running a deep undercover operation and that you'll be home as soon as you can. Even if you won't believe it, Liz, this little boy has been asking for you the moment he started to speak. And then you turn up in a hospital in Boston, arrested for murder. You can call yourself lucky that Frankie and Adam are still working at BPD, Elizabeth. You can call yourself lucky that Adam is still loyal to you."

"Yeah," Liz murmured but looked back out of the window to hide the tear that was running down her right cheek. "that's why he was the one who arrested me. He's so loyal."

"He was just doing his job." The former detective replied louder and raised her brows high. "Would you have preferred some foreign cop to make the arrest?"

"Yes," the younger woman whispered without looking at her mother. "I'd have preferred that."

Jane took a moment and then she sat down on a chair across from Liz. "Why," she asked, this time gently, but her daughter didn't answer and didn't look at her. "Do you still love him?"

Liz inhaled shakily and stared out of the window, concentrating on the clouds which passed by. She wasn't willed to admit that she indeed had still feelings for the father of her child. She wasn't willed to risk the lives of the ones she loved most.

Jane knew better and kept her hands to herself even though her heart demanded a single touch to make sure that her daughter was indeed still warm and alive. To make sure that her mind didn't trick her and held her trapped in a dream. "You do, don't you?" She waited for a response but didn't get one. She took a deep breath and opened her briefcase, getting her notes out of it. "Okay, can you tell me what you remember after waking up at the crime scene?"

That made Liz looking back at her mother and frown. "You're not on duty anymore."

Jane wiggled her brows and crossed her legs. "True, but that doesn't mean that my instincts are sharp no more."

"I can't ask you to help me, Ma."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you can buy me and mom a dinner, or a short trip to the Maldives. Two weeks should do it."

That made Liz smile for the very first time and she leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath.

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"Can you explain that again, Laverty?"

"I'm just looking for more information about your former partner," Adam said calmly. Although, frankly, he himself didn't know how much information he needed at all, let alone what he was looking for - or why. Even if Liz was an accomplice, he wouldn't have to dig deep. He just couldn't help it.

Officially, Liz Rizzoli was no longer his business. But damn it, he just couldn't let it go. Why not, it was a mystery to himself. But he couldn't give her up.

"What else do you want to know," Danielson asked sadly and quietly. "I feel bad because I've already told you so much, and now you want to hear more?"

Adam sighed, turned his chair and stared out the window. "Yeah, I want as much as possible, the more I know, the better I can help."

"Oh, nonsense." Danielson laughed, but even over the phone, it was clear that it wasn't meant to be humorously. "Don't fool me, you don't want my help, you want the last nail to her coffin, not with me, I don't want to do that to my partner."

The line went dead.

"Former partner," Adam mumbled. Then someone tapped on his shoulder and he hung up. He turned around and frowned. He was looking in the face of his nephew Percy, the last one he'd have expected now. Intimidated, the boy cleared his throat. He looked like a kicked animal.

He and his father had moved to Boston two years ago after Percy's mother passed away.

Adam looked at his nephew and wondered where his cheeky, almost reckless demeanor was. "Are you okay, Percy?"

"Sure." The boy shrugged his shoulders, walked around the desk, and absent-mindedly made a few coins jingle in his trouser pocket like Adam always did when he was nervous or distracted.

Exactly because of that, Adam didn't carry any more change with him, because such insignificances brought one down during interrogation. To show nervousness or tension was extremely unwise.

Percy stopped in front of the desk and shifted from one foot to the other. "You didn't happen to see Mom's pendant; the stupid necklace is cracked."

Aha. That explained his pitiful face. Adam leaned back. "No, not that I know, I'm sorry. How long have you been looking for the pendant?"

"For a few days." Dejected, the tall, lean boy plopped down on a chair and stared into nothing.

"Do you remember when you have seen the necklace the last time?"

Percy exhaled in annoyance. "Dude, how would I know that? Probably sometime in the morning, after a shower, then it was gone." He looked at Adam, but then looked away and around the room.

"Did you ask your dad?"

"Nah." From one second to the other, Percy closed up. He crossed his arms over his small chest and jumped up. "I'm off again, you have to do your stupid cop thing."

"Percy -"

The boy stopped in the door.

Adam sighed. "I keep my eyes open and ask around a bit." That wouldn't do much, but he felt he should do something or at least say something. "Maybe it'll show up again."

Percy nodded and disappeared with a hanging head and slumped shoulders.

That poor boy.

Adam wished he could help his nephew, give him some advice. But Percy didn't let anyone in now. As soon as Adam had a little more time, the two needed to talk. But now he had to go to Frankie. Since Liz was no longer their suspect, he needed an update.

Maybe he would check on Liz. Even as this thought came to him, he tried to suppress it, because he wasn't supposed to think about Liz like that. Whether she was responsible for Chaz's injuries or not, the woman had mental problems. He couldn't allow being involved in such a matter.

Adam was about to gather his belongings and to get up from his chair as an older man approached his desk. He knew the older detective for years already. Detective Trent Newman was a pleasant fellow. He was always friendly, and his voice was calm, it never happened that the seasoned cop lost his patience. Adam frowned as soon as he saw the serious expression of Newman, he knew immediately that something was bothering him. "What's the matter, Newman?"

Instead of answering, Newman put his hand in his pocket and pulled something out. Whatever it was, it was so small that it fit into his fist and held it closed so that Adam couldn't see the object.

"I can't even exactly say why I've saved this," Newman began thoughtfully. "I was standing in front of my burning house, watching it go up in flames, thinking of how proud my grandma always was on this house, how much she loved it, I was so mad, and still I am, then I have looked at the ground and saw it. "

"What have you seen, Trent?" Adam's stomach clenched, and he felt hot and cold. He clenched his teeth and stood up.

Newman's green eyes were on him. His gaze should have been hard, ice cold or raging, but Adam found compassion in them. Then he knew it, he suddenly knew it. And even before the older man opened his hand and let the golden pendant dangle between his thumb and forefinger. Adam looked away and closed his eyes. But he still could see the gently swinging cross in front of him. Percy's cross. It's Percy's, he thought to himself. The words were on his tongue, but he swallowed them, unable to say them out loud. Fuck.

He couldn't say the sentence aloud and thus reveal what it was, not to a longtime friend ... Fuck. Fuck.

Adam dropped his jacket over the back of his chair, started pacing up and down in the room, and ran his hands over his face. He couldn't breathe. Damn, he couldn't breathe. Also, that he loosened the knot of his tie did not help. What if something had happened to the stupid boy? Or if someone would have been in the house?

"Laverty?"

He turned and met the eyes of the other detective. He bit his tongue. He wanted to scream, curse, hit something. Wanted to go to his brother and beat him, so he finally woke up and saw how screwed up his son was by already. Someone had to do something.

"What's wrong, Laverty," Newman asked.

Adam shook his head. He couldn't do it.

"It's Percy's necklace, isn't it," Newman said calmly. "I'm sure I saw him in the city with it around his neck about two weeks ago. " He slipped the pendant into his palm and looked at it. "Didn't look like a typical necklace that teens wear, you know, unless he's gotten it from his girlfriends." With a look at Adam, he added, "Or from the deceased mother."

Silence set in.

"That doesn't convict him." Adam suddenly said. "This necklace doesn't mean anything.

"No." Newman pursed his lips, placed the necklace on the edge of Adam's desk, and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. "And, officially, it wasn't found in my backyard, so after all you know, I spotted it on the side of the road and picked it up, and I'm lying to you right now."

"Damn it." Adam rubbed the back of his neck. Suddenly he turned around and rammed his fist against the wall where his desk stood. Pain shot through him, his skin spilled open, and he stared at his knuckles as the blood began to flow. Then he took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand. He looked to Newman. "What will you do?"

Newman shrugged. "I don't know, but your nephew is crazy."

"He's not crazy."

"Oh, he absolutely is." He threw his hand in the air and whirled around to glare at Adam angrily. "I feel sorry for the kid. Do you think I want him to be charged with such a crime, how old is he ... fourteen, fifteen? He's a kid, damn, and his whole life is still ahead of him. He just has to understand it." Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. "But he will not if he doesn't get his act together, no one has been hurt ... this time, but you can't pretend that nothing has happened. Do you want to rap him over the knuckles to make him go and sweep up the ashes that used to be my house? Do you think that would give him a piece of your mind? He needs professional help, Laverty. And you know that as well as I do. "

Adam's stomach clenched as he looked away from Newman and the golden cross on his desk. He remembered how his nephew had looked just a few minutes ago. Damn it. Why had the boy come to him and confide in him? With burning eyes and narrowed throat, he looked again at Newman. "What do you want to hear, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Get him help, for God's sake, you're a cop, so think up something, do something, organize help for him, jail isn't for the boy, but you can't just pretend that nothing happened."

Adam took a deep breath and dropped the pendant into the top drawer of his desk after the older man turned to leave.

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Some would have said that a smart man wouldn't show up here.

He thought there was no better place to be right now. Watching Liz was just the best. It was great. Although hell was going on in Boston. If anyone saw a strange shadow creeping around in the woods, well, then maybe he would get a load of shotgun pellets in the buttocks. He was here anyway. She had been in the hospital, and rumors spread around that she was almost arrested. He had caught the words insane and criminal.

At the thought alone, he had to giggle. Liz ... insane. He laughed. She looked as if she would start screaming at the slightest noise as if she would pass out if someone jumped out from behind a tree. And they had wanted to arrest her for aggravated battery, maybe even for murder? That was too amusing.

But now she was free again ... and she would probably run away soon. That's what she always did. And he just needed to wait and watch.

As soon as she ran away ...

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"I shouldn't be here," Liz murmured. The sun was shining on her back as she wandered around the porch, and yet she froze.

Chaz was sitting on a canopy swing with his eyes closed. But he didn't sleep. Rather, he opened one eye, peered in her direction, his gaze smart and intense, and then he closed it again. "You're not leaving, Liz."

She looked at him with narrowed eyes and continued to wander around. "That's not your decision," she hissed.

That made him smile, but he didn't say anything.

No. She wouldn't leave. Not now.

Three days. She had been back in this house for three whole days, and each one of them had turned out to be the purest nightmare. Just because she was back in Boston, she felt a tingling sensation on her skin. The whole time she was haunted by reminiscences of that night. They were blurry and fragmented, but even that was enough.

Neither she nor Chaz could remember the events of that night, which was not surprising in Chaz's case, given how badly he had been beaten up. That she had been hit in the back of the head might easily explain the loss of memory, but she wondered if that veil that laid over everything might have been due to her cowardice and that she was pushing something to the back of her mind.

Again, and again Liz saw James Waterston in front of her. She held her hands over her eyes, so she could fend off the few images of the night that were storming at her. Most clearly, Waterston's expression had burned into her memory, rigid, yet full of miserable, pitiful horror, as if he'd died with a plea for mercy.

He didn't deserve that. Sure, he had been a chauvinist asshole, but nobody deserved such a death.

The landline rang.

She flinched and looked to the door. "I'll get it."

"I can get up, Liz." He replied and made a face.

"And I'm already standing." When she realized how hard her words sounded she blushed. She turned around, entered the house and took the cordless phone from the kitchen counter. After a glance at the display, she made a face and almost wished that Chaz would be here right now. The display showed the number of the BPD, a number she still knew by heart. She took the call. Her answer sounded rough.

When Adam answered her, his way to talk calmed her a little. "Hello, Li - Miss Rizzoli. Can I please talk to Chaz?"

Without another word, she brought Chaz the phone and tried not to think about the man at the other end of the line.

She tried to suppress the feeling that aroused her in because of that deep, pleasant voice. It amazed her that she still knew that feeling. For years no one has triggered such a feeling in her.

She really had to stop seeing him as a man.

Don't see him as a man, but a cop. Hello, the guy wanted to arrest you.

That was supposed to make it clear once and for all that he was not a man she should think about. She didn't even think about any guys. Basta. She no longer trusted them. She didn't need them. Chaz was the exception, and he didn't count as a man for her. He was just Chaz, her best friend ... and he was not dangerous. The rest of the male species could go the way of the dodo bird if it was about her, so they would do her a favor. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She wasn't sure why she thought so. The extinction of the male species would include her own son. That was something she didn't want to happen, Zane being no more.

A low voice from the bottom of her heart whispered to her that Adam was different. She closed her eyes and thought back on they met for the very first time in her favorite bar. How Leslie has been sitting with her at their favorite table, and how suddenly a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes asked them if he could sit with them. How they had a nice evening together and then, all of a sudden, Leslie bit her goodbye, and she and Adam suddenly had been on their own. He told her honestly that his friends wanted him to pick her up but that he wasn't that kind of guy and that he enjoyed spending the evening with her instead with his buddies. At the end of the evening, he kept his hands to himself and asked her if they could do that again, spend time with each other after their shift at BPD. He didn't hide the fact that he was the new detective in the homicide unit, and she didn't hide the fact that she was a patrol officer at the same precinct. Since then they started to build their relationship slowly but surely. Get a hold of yourself, Elizabeth. She shook her head, leaned back against the counter and looked up. Chaz lowered the phone. "Well, has he changed his mind? Does he want to lock me up now?"

"Stop it," Chaz growled and grimaced again. "No, he actually planned to come over and talk to me, but he had something else came up, so we postponed it." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Liz, no one is coming to arrest you. Relax."

"Relax?" She placed a hand on her stomach, which was clenching again. How was she supposed to relax when it felt like someone was watching her steps, watching her every move? Lurking …

Shuddering, she repressed this idea and looked into Chaz' bruised face. "Are you hungry? You hadn't had much for breakfast."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Elegant change of topic, honey."

She gave him a combative smile. "Alright, Charles, honey, I don't want to talk about this matter, so let's leave it. Would you like to eat something or not? "

To her surprise, he gave her a wide grin, but flinched again and put a hand to his mouth, the crack in his lower lip had open again. "You know, you've been bossing me pretty much since we two are not in the hospital anymore ... I almost expected you to leave so fast you'd just leave a cloud of dust behind you, instead, you turned in one little bitch. What's going on? "

Liz only shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know how to start to explain it. It had something to do with being taken to a hospital. By the fact that these people had instilled her medication ... And with those damn bandages around their wrists ... She looked down and touched one of the patches, feeling the wound underneath it … When she lifted her head, she met Chaz' eyes.

A well-known expression lay in his them. Compassion and understanding were reflected in them. He reached for her hands, pushing her fingers away from the wound. "You'll have worked your way out of this hole before, in whatever you got into it this time, you'll get yourself out of it again. Leslie and I are here to help you. "

Liz narrowed her eyes and pulled her hands from his. The compassion in his eyes got on her nerves. Anger rose in her, hot, strong and devastating, and she wanted to break free. A dark, scary memory moved somewhere in her mind. She couldn't say exactly what had happened that night ... and didn't know if she wanted to know. She saw Waterston, saw blurry pictures of Chaz ... He had been in serious trouble, so much she remembered. But she hadn't done that to herself. She knew that as sure as she knew her own name, as sure as she knew her eye and hair color. And she was so fed up that people thought otherwise. Even Chaz and Leslie ... who always trusted her, always believed in her and stood by her side. He thought that she was so weak that she dared to slit her wrists while he lay helpless and bleeding on the ground. She turned and walked down the steps, unsure where to go, and she wouldn't walk around alone in the area, but she didn't want to go into the house either. Disappointment and anger seized her, and even before she realized it, her emotions boiled over. Immediately she whirled around and glared at Chaz. "I haven't done that."

For an infinitely long moment, he stared at her as if he couldn't quite understand what she had said. "What do you mean," he then asked in a deep, raspy voice.

"Well, that I didn't do that." She stormed back up the steps, almost trembling as this unknown, raging fury ran through her. She knew fear. She knew uncertainty. She knew doubts. And anger. But to be so angry? She did not know that. She barely understood it and could only control herself with difficulty when it burst out of her. With trembling hands, she loosened the bandages, tore them down and dropped them to the floor. The stitches lifted ugly from her olive flesh, the fine red scars glowing fresh. She held out her wrists to Chaz and stared at him. "This," she snorted. "I didn't do that. Hell, I didn't do it myself."

"Liz -"

"Stop that Oh, that'll be all right again, Charles. Could you please think for a moment? You were lying on the floor, you were injured and bleeding, you're the only person who still means something to me, do you really believe that I would happily slit my wrists in this situation?" Tears of anger, pain, fear took away her vision and ran down her cheeks. Angrily, she wiped them off and blinked at him. "Think about it, Chaz!"

He stared at her for a long moment ... then he understood. "That son of a bitch." He growled low, whirling around and ramming his left fist with such force in the wall that the plaster crumbled.

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Percy stared at the hour hand of the kitchen clock and tried not to show how uncomfortable he felt. His uncle had called his dad and told the old man he needed to talk to them both. He glanced aside to see if his father had any idea what was going on, but he couldn't have looked more disinterested. In his eyes, blue like Percy's, blue like Adam's, lay an absent expression as he stared at his monitor, probably answering emails again. But honestly, how many damn emails could an insurance agent get?

Dad spent more time being an insurance agent than being a dad. After all, he already had enough responsibility. Insurance agent Henry, Hank, Laverty didn't want to skip out on his customers ... he had just forgotten his son.

He let him down every damn day. That's how it has been since Mom died. Percy just didn't exist anymore. For no one ... He noticed that tears were burning in his eyes and got up violently from the chair. His dad looked up.

Percy wandered to the fridge and asked, "Did Uncle Adam say when he's coming or how long the shit here should last? I have other things to do, you know."

"No, he didn't say that and don't curse like that, Percy." With lips pressed together, his father glanced at the clock. "If he doesn't come soon, I'll call him, there's work to do for me and -"

Then they heard an engine.

Outside, they saw a dented pickup turn off the road and drive toward their house.

"Who is that," Hank asked, frowning, then let out a sigh. "I really don't have time for that," he mumbled.

Percy hardly heard the old man. He stared at the pickup, and the blood rushed in his ears. Uncle Adam didn't drive such a car ... but Trent Newman did. At the thought, Percy's heart dropped - he straightened his back, so his legs wouldn't shake, and told himself to stay calm. So, he put on a bored expression and took a coke from the fridge. Hell, Newman should suspect whom he wanted. Maybe he didn't know anything. Percy took a long swig of the bubbling, cold liquid, trying to soothe his nervous stomach. But then the pickup stopped, and Trent Newman didn't get out alone.

When Percy saw his uncle Adam, his heart almost stopped. Crap. Okay, his uncle appeared with Newman. That wasn't good. Strangely enough, he remembered all the stupid police shows that his dad loved to watch. And had to remember that he always wondered why the hell people were trying to run away. They would be caught anyway. That's how it always went. But at that moment Percy thought of nothing else but running. He wanted to run away more than anything else. He didn't notice how firmly he closed his hand around the can of soda until the cool liquid ran over his hand.

"He's going to run," Newman said low, who was watching Percy through a window while he parked the car in front of the house. He made a face, rubbed his thigh and asked himself if he was able to run after a scared, desperate teenager.

"It can happen." Adam's features were petrified, the look of his blue eyes icy.

"Do you think, he gets up to something?"

"Damn it." Adam gave Newman a scowl. His usual charming cheerfulness was overshadowed by stress and grief. He looked tired. Tired and depressed. "The boy burned a house, damn it, yes, I think he could get up to something."

Newman was sorry for the man and he shook his head. "I didn't mean that houses, well ... sure, they burn, but no one got hurt, and he didn't get hurt either. But do you think we'll regret that we didn't take backup with us?"

"God, I hope not," Adam replied before he got out of the pickup. Yes, Adam could imagine Percy running, just as the older detective. The boy's big blue eyes were darker than usual, the pupils were enlarged. In addition, his face looked pale and sweat was on his forehead. He wondered why his brother didn't notice any of the signs. Hank had always been someone who focused on the big goal, but Adam had thought that included his family, too. Apparently, he was wrong, because his brother didn't even start to suspect what was going on in his son. But that was what the man has been like this for quite some time. Since Sherly's death.

Adam led Newman into the kitchen.

"I hope this isn't going to be that long, Adam. A lot of work is waiting for me, and the fact that you don't show up until half an hour later than announced doesn't make it any better."

"Sit down, Hank," Adam said calmly. "It's important."

His brother looked at him with narrowed eyes. "There's a lot of paperwork in my office, I have to answer calls, there's a meeting this evening, and there are plenty of other important things I have to do."

"The matter should take precedence," Adam replied. Should ... but would it? He just couldn't evaluate the situation. As he sat down at the table, he was careful not to look at either Newman or Percy, though he was watching the boy out of the corner of his eye.

The older detective did the same thing unobtrusively.

Adam took a deep breath. "This is Trent Newman." He introduced the man to his brother.

"June Newman's grandson," Hank said, nodding. "I heard what happened to June's old house. I am really sorry about it. If I can do anything for you -"

"That's why we're here," Adam said and looked at Percy. The boy was staring into nothing. Beneath the thin fabric of his black shirt, his shoulders stiffened in horror. He looked like he was about to break. "Percy," Adam spoke to him in a calm voice. His nephew stared at the table and clenched his teeth so that the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Look at me, kid," Adam demanded. He still remembered Percy as a baby, a screaming, helpless bundle. He still remembered him holding him in his arms and watching him take his first steps ... how he had held him after falling to the ground and crying. He remembered how the boy had sobbed when his mother Sherly had died ... and how Adam had taken him in his arms. "Percy."

Slowly the teenager lifted his head.

"What the hell is going on, Adam?" Hank interfered harshly.

At the sound of his father's voice, Percy winced, withdrawing again from one second to the other.

Adam felt the boy clamping up, his face hard, just like his eyes.

Sighing, Adam opened his briefcase and took out the golden cross.

That was enough to bring Percy's thin facade of bravery down. His expression reflected fear, fear, realization ... and suddenly relief.

"I think we should talk, kid," Adam stated.

Hank stared at the pendant and looked first to Percy, then to Adam. "What the hell does that mean?" He asked coldly. For the first time since Adam arrived, Hank looked straight at his son.

Dear God, maybe it was the first time in two years. Cursing, Hank yanked the necklace from Adam's hands. After staring at it for a moment, he threw it on the table and took a step toward his son. "What the hell have you done, Percy?"

If they could have stopped Hank somehow …

Newman witnessed how the fairly promising situation turned into a total disaster within seconds. The boy had almost opened up to his uncle, Newman had seen the relief in Percy's tear-filled gaze. But then his father had to open his mouth. Still, the older man had to admit that he was impressed by how the boy faced the situation.

"It was an accident. Well, mostly." The boy looked from his father to Newman, holding his gaze, and said haltingly," I'm sorry, Mr. Newman. I was just pissed. Not even because of you. It was just ... well, just because of everything. And then Uncle Adam also annoyed me because of these flowers. I know that I am to blame for it myself, but I didn't think properly, and ... and ... and ... well. I'm sorry."

Newman nodded and looked at Adam, who reached into his briefcase. But before he could say a word, Hank grabbed the boy by one of his thin arms and yanked him off the chair. Newman could see Percy's skin turn white under the tight grip. That would give bruises, that much he already knew.

"What are you sorry for? You're telling me right now what you did. I didn't raise a goddamned good-for-nothing. "

"Jesus, Hank. That's enough." Adam sounded cool and controlled, which was the opposite of his angry brother.

Hank looked at his brother. "You stay out of it. It's none of your business. " He growled.

"Oh, no? I still belong to the family. And in case your little brain has forgotten it: Arson is a felony, I'll tell you that as a cop."

Hank looked back to his son. "Arson. So, you really did it. Damn it, boy. Admit it. Damn it, be a man and admit what you did to this house. Spill it! "

Percy blinked away the tears and looked his father in the eye. "I lit it, Dad."

"You little snotty brat! Your mother would be ashamed of you, I'm just glad she doesn't have to go through this, "Hank growled in a furious voice. "If she would be here now, this would kill her."

"I am sorry!" The boy lost his composure. Again, tears threatened to fall.

Newman wouldn't soon forget that expression. "It's enough now," he said quietly, pushing himself away from the counter.

But Hank ignored him. "You are sorry." The man shook his head. "After all, what I've done to offer you a good life, are you doing that, and you think it's enough that you're sorry?"

Suddenly, Percy let out a laugh, it was an ugly, throaty sound. "A good life?" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "That's what you are calling a good life? You never look at me. You don't want to know anything of me. You probably wish I'd died instead of Mom. "

"At least, I wouldn't have to clean up the mess you left behind." Hank roared with a crimson face and raised his hand.

Newman was the first who reacted and set in motion just in time. He briefly threatened to lose his balance, but he didn't care but clenched his jaw. He grabbed the man's upraised hand, turned around and used Hank's swing to push his upper body onto the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Percy disappear through the back door, but that was his least concern right now. While Hank tried to fight him off, Newman hissed, "That, good man, was no heroic act."

"My God, let go of me," Hank growled.

"Sure, once you've calmed down, but if you think I'm going to watch you beating the boy, you're wrong, life has been bad enough for him already ... and you haven't been a big help either." Glancing at Adam, he thought that the man was staring at his brother like he was a stranger.

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Liz ...

He could see her, right there, pacing up and down on the porch. Why didn't she come down the stairs? Why didn't she come a little closer to him?

A gust of wind blew her long, shiny brown hair out of her face.

He closed his eyes and imagined how he wrapped this long strand of hair around his wrist as she knelt before him. A mixture of desire, hunger and anger bubbled in him. With the appetizing view, he had to lean on a tree trunk to control himself, not to approach closer.

This was not the right moment ...

Not this time.

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He really wishes I was dead.

Percy wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stormed past bushes and low-hanging branches. Tears were burning in his eyes, blocking his vision, but he didn't stop. After he had run eternities, his lungs had burned so that he had to stop, and now he just kept walking.

He didn't even know exactly where he was. Somewhere in the forest, near the Ohlman property, he assumed. Maybe near Chaz' and Leslie's house. Anyway, it was definitely too close to his own place. He just wanted to keep going.

With faint hope for a miracle, he put his hands in his pockets and checked the contents again. Maybe his silly seventeen dollars would multiply. He really just wanted to leave. His dad wouldn't miss him anyway.

Maybe Adam, but after all Percy had done, he certainly hated him too. A sob escaped his throat, he stumbled and sank against a tree. "That was not intentional," he whispered. "It was not intentional ..." But now it was too late to think about it. He had done it. He screwed everything up, and now not only did his dad hate him but probably also Uncle Adam. At least Adam had loved him so far, but he didn't even have that anymore.

Percy pushed away from the tree and began to move again. For now, he would just keep walking. He would think of something sooner or later. He didn't want to go home, his dad clearly didn't want him anyway.

Hours passed before he finally found himself in front of Newman's house, too far away to see properly, but close enough to see the outline of the ruin. He was responsible for this condition.

Jesus, his mother really would be ashamed. Tears came to his eyes again, but he blinked them away. Enough wailing. He had to think about what to do next. With a shudder, he thought of how his dad had looked at him. Going back home? Could he do that?

Maybe he should just go to Adam. "What would you want, Mom?" He whispered. He had really screwed thinks ... If he made a mistake, then he had to be in charge, she always had said. That's what decent people did, and that's what she would do. He swallowed hard and turned away. The only right thing was to go to Adam. His stomach cramped. He'd had enough trouble lately to know that it wouldn't be a picnic, but ... "Don't think about it," he said to himself. "Just don't think about it, do it, get it behind you, but don't think about it."

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He had forgotten how dark it could be in the forest. With his hands in his pockets, Percy stumbled forward, concentrating on the dim glow in front of him. He didn't know exactly whose house it was, but basically, he did not care.

It was not his house, and that was the main thing. Whoever lived there he'd ask to use the phone and then call his uncle. He shuddered as he thought of what awaited him hit his mind, but he had to do it. At least, he wasn't ...

Someone stepped out from behind a tree.

Percy's mind stopped.

Given the dusk, his headache, and how heavy his heart was, he almost thought the whole thing could be a nightmare. The man was wrapped in camouflage clothes from head to toe. He had even smeared his face, and his eyes were behind some sort of goggles that made him look more than strange. Percy could have handled that. But the man held a gun in his hand. He cocked his head and studied Percy as if he were a kind of lab rat. Staring at him ... as if he had already stopped existing for this wacko.

Percy heard his own breath, felt the cold sweat trickle down his spine and the blood drumming in his ears. Panic seized him, and suddenly all his anger at his father disappeared in smoke, he just wanted to go home to dad. Very fast.

He swallowed dryly, frozen in fear, but he knew he needed to move.

With a serenity that seemed almost inhuman, the man raised his head ... and slowly also the gun.

Percy jumped behind one of the trees and started to run. It was as if the branches were reaching for him. Roots seemed to grow out of the earth and wind around its feet. He stumbled, fell, got up again and kept going.

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Stupid little jerk ...

Annoyed, he withdrew into the forest again. He had planned something exciting that night, but now he had to think it over. He still wanted to watch her. He wanted to take a closer look ... Maybe he even let her know that he was here. He probably would have handled the boy somehow, but that was not intended.

He had to stick to his plan because as soon as one deviated from it, things got out of hand. After a last look back to the house, he made his way through the forest. It was not a problem to wait. After all, he was a patient man.

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"Did you try to call her?"

Jane was chewing on her thumbnail and wondered if she should answer her. Then she looked with a sigh at her wife. "No, I don't think that she wants to talk to me again for today."

"Well, you fought from the beginning. Without talking about it, you can't get it out of the way," Maura said quietly, sitting down next to the brunette on the couch and wrapped Jane's arm around her shoulders.

Jane tugged the smaller woman closer. "I know. But I -" Jane got up from the couch with a sigh and walked around in the room, sipping her beer. "She isn't really talking to me. She only told me what she'd remembered and didn't even try why she disappeared. Jeez, even Puck now punishes me with disrespect."

Maura laughed and looked at the dog who was sleeping in his bed. Liz brought the dog home shortly before she left five years ago, back then the shorthaired Belgian shepherd was still a puppy, and he loved the younger Rizzoli woman. "I know, he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore either."

"That's probably my fault, the dog always notices when she's angry, and then gets upset as well, he'll only calm down when she does," Jane spoke from experience, she spoke of the past without noticing. "Maura, I miss her."

Jane looked really miserable when Maura looked into her brown eyes. "I know, that's why you have to make a decision, you can't assume that it will just be okay if you don't talk about it."

Jane looked down. Lost in thought, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Maybe ... maybe Adam can bring her to dinner tomorrow, so I could talk to her?"

"You'll think of something." Maura got up and kissed her lips. "But now go back to work before you have a clarifying conversation."

The Italian growled low and furrowed her brows. "Slave driver."

Maura smiled broadly. "I love you, too."

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"And how is Liz coping with that," Leslie asked, taking a fork full of pasta in her mouth.

"I don't know. Jesus, it seems she can handle it better than I do, but somehow I'm expecting all the time that she -"

"Breaks down?"

"Yes." Chaz hated himself for saying that, and even thinking it.

"I think you underestimate her." Leslie sighed, put the fork aside and raised his eyebrows. "She ... Well, she looks quite fragile and she went through hell, but sometimes people realize in just such moments what they are really made of. I have the impression Liz is getting to the point that it's enough for her. I think she has had enough already."

That's what Chaz wanted to believe, but everything she had been through, he wondered why she hadn't reached that point much sooner. If anyone could get her to that point, then William Hanley, her ex-boyfriend and cop killer, who was serving his life sentence in a super-max. But that had not happened. Instead, this son of a bitch almost destroyed her for years. "I don't know, Leslie. Yes, she went through hell, you should think she should have reached such a point a long time ago."

She shrugged. "Maybe he, I suppose there was a man, pressed the wrong buttons. This time she is not the only one who got hurt. You got hurt as well. "She turned her mouth to a grim smile and shook her head." You have no idea what she was like when you were in a coma, Chaz. Liz looked like a different person."

"Damn." He snorted. "Since we were released from the hospital, it is like she's a different person, it's almost like ... Well, in the past she was always the quiet but also rather belligerent, you know that. Those who didn't know Liz would never have thought that of her, but she has always held her point. And then ... Well, I can't say that now, after all, that's her business. Anyway, in the last five years, I had the feeling that this part of her had died. For a few days, it seems like it's back, but I'm not sure. I don't want to believe she's okay and miss something important because I'm not looking closely at it."

Leslie laughed briefly. Then she stopped, took a sip of her red wine and licked her lips. "Chaz, honey ... don't get me wrong, but I doubt you could miss something important," she said softly. "You don't even miss the tiniest details, if there's something wrong with Liz then you'll notice, but seriously, you have to step back a little ... and trust her, let her get back on her feet, and if her life was such a hell and she is now trying to stand on her own again, then she has to go through that ... alone. "

Chaz sighed, perhaps his wife was right. But when the porch door creaked, he involuntarily got up. Behind him, Leslie chuckled. "That's exactly what I mean, Chaz."

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She could hear Chaz talking to Leslie. As she slipped into the kitchen, Leslie laughed. Liz pushed out of the back door and winced as it creaked the moment she closed it behind her. Oh, man, hopefully, Chaz hadn't heard that ... But he didn't turn up at immediately. He was chatting with his wife, probably also about her. Adam had shown up shortly before dinner and talked to either of them. Neither Leslie nor Chaz told her why Adam came by without wanting her to see.

They kept their voices low, whispering and mumbling while Liz was about to scream.

She was so nervous that she felt a tingle on her skin, but she didn't want to run again.

She had enough of running away from every problem. The problem always followed her, she couldn't leave it behind. She had enough of the way Chaz looked at her, as if she was about to break down any moment, even though his worries had been justified. A hot feeling spread in her stomach as she buried her face in her hands. Just because she had lost her nerve before it didn't necessarily mean it would happen again. He didn't have to be around her 24/7 and take care of her as if she would be made of porcelain, so fragile. She heard the door open behind her and glanced over her shoulder. "Damn it, Chaz, I'm just sitting on the porch, I'm fine, and I want to be alone."

"I just wanted to ask if you might want to have a jacket. Or coffee ..."

Liz suppressed a moan, got up and turned to face him. "That's not true. You want to control me, make sure I don't freak out or panic, get a nervous breakdown, grab my belongings or do whatever you're worried about, I'm fine, Chaz, and I have to be alone." When he pressed his lips together, she almost has taken back everything, at least she knew that he was just so worried because she was important to him ...

"Fuck, Liz, what am I supposed to do? Do dances of joy?" He growled. He took carefully her hands in his own, so he wouldn't touch her wounds, and held them into the light. "Someone did this to you and tried to kill you. And I shouldn't be worried about that? "

With narrowed eyes, she pressed a finger right on the swelling under his left eye.

He immediately winced and let go of her hands. "What the fuck, Liz!"

"You're not in the pink either, my friend. You were beaten black and blue by the same person who did this to me, if you really want to worry about me, fine, I'm also worried about you, but I don't bow and scrape around you."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not the same."

"Of course, it isn't," she whispered. She looked at her wrists again and sighted. "It's not the same because I am me … Me, the one who always is afraid and is too weak to defend herself. But, God, how is it going to get any better if you try to be by my side all the time?"

"Liz, I don't try -" Chaz sighed and became quiet. He ran a hand through his hair "I'm just - Damn, I don't know how to handle the situation. I wanted you to be here, so you could feel safe and to start to process everything. And now look at what happened to you."

"This is not your fault." Liz looked away. "None of us could foresee this, I mean how could we? But, Chaz, for heaven's sake, you have to stop to mother me. Because of that I feel boxed in. I'm feeling fine, really. And I need some freedom, otherwise, I'll go nuts." She hated that sad, pathetic look in his eyes that she couldn't take away ... or didn't want to. Instead, she turned her back to him and refused to look at him. At some point, she heard him going back into the house, but still didn't turn around. Thoughtfully, she stared up at the dark sky. All she wanted to do was to sit on the porch. She could do that, though. She looked back at her wrists and sighed heavily.

Tomorrow she had to go to the BPD and file a complaint. Although it probably was a waste of time, nobody believed her anyway. Either people thought she was crazy and suicidal, or they thought she was crazy and wanted to hurt her best friend.

After all, she would meet with Trent Newman. An old colleague who was always unbiased.

Something rustled behind the trees. A branch cracked. Liz jerked her head up, holding her breath. She almost ran back into the house, okay, maybe she didn't realize that she couldn't handle sitting outside alone. Then a boy staggered out of the woods. A boy ... He cried and was about her size. Still, he was just a kid whose face looked oddly familiar to her.

Instead of retreating into the house, she jumped down the two steps of the porch and ran across the lawn toward him. "Hey, are you alright?"

The door opened behind her, but Liz barely noticed that. She met the boy's gaze. He is terrified.

He grabbed her by the upper arm. His Adam's apple hopped up and down as if he could barely speak without sobbing.

"There ... there was somebody in the forest," he blurted out, his voice cracking, as it so often happens with pubescent boys. In his panic, he unconsciously tightened his grip, as if to make sure she was really standing in front of her.

His big blue eyes were the most noticeable feature in the slender face, which seemed incredibly familiar to her. "Someone's walking around ... in the woods," he whispered. He glanced fearfully over his shoulder before looking at her again. Suddenly, the panic left his eyes and he released her arm to reach for her hand. This touch seemed incredibly familiar to her, too. "He had a gun and he was back there. We are not safe here. We should go inside and call the police or something like that. "

When the boy dragged her to the house, Liz noticed Chaz, who was standing on the porch with his usual frown.

"Percy, Jesus, your uncle is looking for you everywhere. He's worried sick." He scolded.

"Chaz." Liz stopped him and frowned. Not just because of the whole situation but also because now she knew why the boy looked so familiar to her. He was her very own nephew. The last time I've seen him … Okay, that's five years ago. But I should have noticed him anyway.

However, Chaz paid no attention to her, instead of pointing to the house behind him. "Get in, Percy, go ahead and call Adam."

Liz stepped protectively in front of Percy, she carefully loosened his grip, he was as thin as a rake but damn strong. "Shit, Chaz, come off it, the boy is in a complete tizzy. He says he saw someone in the forest."

Chaz narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Percy. "Is that true?"

The teenager ran the back of his hand over his mouth. "He …a gun. He had a gun."

"A gun?" Leslie stood in the door to the porch. "Is that correct?"

Chaz' face turned dark and he nodded in the direction of his house. "Get inside the house, Percy. Call Adam. He's looking everywhere for you, kid. After you've done that, you tell me everything about the person you have seen."

As the teenager ran into the house, Liz stood there taken aback. "Percy."

Chaz nodded slowly. "It has been five years, Liz. Come on, we should get inside."

When the door closed behind them, she realized that it was only a matter of minutes before Adam appeared here. Liz had to swallow. Her heart began to throb. For a moment, she wondered if she should lock herself in her room and come out when the whole thing was over. Then she closed her eyes and reasoned herself. No. You stop running away, have you already forgotten that?

However, a part of her still wanted to hide in her room. She had begun to face her past, and she didn't want to run away from the things that scared her anymore either. But Adam didn't just scare her.

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As they turned into the long driveway that led to Chaz' house, Hank opened his eyes. "Chaz said he was fine, right?"

"Yeah, he is fine. He seems to be pretty shaken, though. Something in the woods scared him to death."

Hank nodded. There was a sad, bashful expression on his face, and he sighed. "You know I'd rather kick my ass for the things I said earlier, right? I love my son, Adam, you know that. But the last two years ... they've been hell."

"Do you think they weren't for him, too? He's still a child and has lost his mother, he probably doesn't think that he still has a dad. You don't pay any attention to him, Hank. Shit, even a blind man sees it. He probably thinks that his father wouldn't love him anymore, but wished he was dead. " Adam said bitterly. He suffered from his brother, but more so with Percy. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking in the rearview mirror. His own son was asleep in the booster seat, dead to the world.

He was so angry at Hank that he wanted to grab that idiot by the shoulders and shake him, shake him or hit him. As long as the man finally woke up and understood what he did to his son. Percy was so confused, unhappy, and scared. Adam never thought he would ever be ashamed of his brother ... but right now? He was. Sure, people who mourn were often not completely in control of themselves, but he just couldn't believe what Hank had come up with, what he might have done if Newman hadn't been so serene at the moment. "Percy deserves better, Hank," he added with a shake of his head. "So much better."

"I know, I have to work hard to get those things right between us." Hank sighed. "Of course, it's all my fault, but you also know that Percy is having problems, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had come up with this story about a man with a gun just to distract himself from the trouble he faces."

The thought had come to Adam too. But in his opinion, Percy has already been charged with enough crap. He would not rashly condemn his nephew for that. Not yet. "He deserves better for the last two years," Adam repeated softly. "And he deserves that we at least listen to him without having judged him already, maybe you can't, but I can, and I will."

Headlights illuminated in the rearview mirror. As Adam parked in front of Chaz's house, he recognized Frankie's car in the darkness. He grimaced and watched the older man get out.

"I'm wondering why you did not tell me about Newman's house and Percy," Frankie said.

"I have not planned that either." Adam nodded to the house. "He's in there."

Frankie eyed Hank for a brief moment. He didn't like the man and how he treated his own son. And he liked him even less after what Newman had told him what had happened in his kitchen. "Hank."

Hank cocked his head. "Frankie, I ... well, as you hopefully understand, that was a pretty tough day, I just couldn't think quite straight."

"I like to think so, but your son doesn't seem to be thinking clearly for a while, so maybe you concern yourself about that," Frankie said bluntly, turning to the house.

Hank pressed his lips together. "I am aware of that, believe me."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, then he opened the back door of his car and got his sleeping son out of the booster seat. This day probably wouldn't get any better. After the men reached the front door, he knocked and promptly experienced another surprise. He should have been prepared to meet her here. Actually. But when the door opened, and Liz stood before him, framed by light, with a sad, withdrawn expression in dreamy brown eyes, Adam's heart almost stopped. At the sight of her, he just couldn't keep his composure. Or rather, what her sight did to him, his mind, his body, his emotions. Crap. Oh, shit, I really don't need that right now. Lust rose in him, grabbed his throat, taking his breath away while the blood throbbed in his veins. That was the last woman in the world to desire. She only brought trouble. The woman had a lot of problems just to name one of the reasons why he didn't need this right now-

He rubbed carefully the back of his son when the boy started to stir a little. Actually, he didn't want to take Zane with him, but at this time of night, he didn't want to ask or even wake Jane and Maura.

Liz' eyes fell at the small boy and swallowed hard the moment she realized who that boy was.

Behind him, Frankie cleared his throat. Hank, who had mastered himself with difficulty, pushed Adam aside and pushed himself impatiently into the house. He passed Liz closely. Too close according to her expression. Her eyes changed, she jerked away, avoiding him, and turned away her face ... hiding her fear.

Suddenly, his burning desire changed to anger. This fear, where did it come from, what did it cause? What in the hell was she constantly afraid of? It itched his fingers to touch her face, to brush her dark hair from her forehead and promise her that she wouldn't need to be afraid anymore.

Jesus.

When she glanced at him, Adam remembered that he needed to stay away from this woman.

You are not running. You are not running, Liz told herself when the three men entered the house.

Frankie stopped beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Only a month ago she would have flinched, but now she could give him an insecure smile as he asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"Quite alright." He looked at her with a sharp, intelligent look at her, whereupon her smile grew thin and died. "Okay, maybe not so good, but at least I'm still here."

With a nod, Frankie stroked her arm. Then, after closing the door, he laid an arm around her shoulders in a friendly, casual gesture that she couldn't avoid without feeling silly. "Who's nursing the two of you back to health, Chaz nurses you or are you nursing Chaz?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam with the toddler in his arms, fully aware that he was watching her. Then she felt her blush, trying to concentrate on Frankie, on all sorts of things, not how nervous the other man was making her. "Um, probably both. He's tired and in pain, which is not surprising, because he doesn't want to take the medication. "

"And you?"

Frankie didn't look at her wrists, but that was not necessary. She knew what his question implied. Tension spread in her chest, and she broke away from him, suddenly unable to bear his touch even though it just had felt ... well, almost nice. Almost like a casual, friendly hug from Chaz. Now she wasn't in the mood for a casual, friendly hug anymore - she was angry. "I'm fine," she replied sharply. Then she stomped past Adam, Frankie, and the silent Hank into the kitchen, where she sat down at the table with Chaz, Leslie, and Percy. "We have visitors, Chaz," she said coolly as she caught Chaz's gaze.

Leslie quirked an eyebrow. "Aha, what has Frankie done?"

The older man entered the kitchen. "I didn't know that I have done something wrong."

"He hasn't," Liz confirmed with a calm voice. She also wouldn't approach the topic right now. Not as long as her nephew would be here. Perfect, now she concentrated on Percy.

Percy sat with his head down and shoulders hunched at the table. His body became even stiffer as Hank came into the kitchen. A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell over them like a wet, cold blanket. Adam came to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. Well, kid, "he said softly.

Percy briefly glanced up at him, then stared back at the tabletop.

It was so incredibly quiet that Liz could hear the ticking of the clock.

Finally, Hank broke the silence by approaching her. He gave her an affable, seasoned smile ... of an insurance agent. "I'm sorry if he imposed on you."

He wanted to shake her hand, but she quickly hooked her thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans, taking care not to rub her wrists along the seams on her pants. Frowning, she answered, "Percy is terrified, he isn't a burden, Hank."

Leslie smirked, and Frankie cleared his throat, Chaz rolled his eyes.

Hank tilted his head and looked at his son. "Come on, Percy. Let's go home. We still have a lot to talk about."

Liz started to say something, anything, but then she said nothing and looked over at the boy. He looked sad, scared ... and lonely. She didn't know what kind of problems he had, but she knew the feeling sad, scared and lonely. If you were cut off from your surroundings and that there was nobody who could help, who listened.

"Maybe you should listen to what happened," Chaz said behind her in a calm voice.

But the insurance agent shook his head. "Percy can tell me about it at home. In private. We have a lot to talk about. And he took enough of your time."

Liz backed away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Chaz' expression, saw his lips pressed together. That reassured her, at least she was not the only one who didn't like the way the man dealt with his frightened child.

Of course, Chaz expressed his disapproval. "Yes, sure, your personal affairs are more important than the fact that Percy met someone near my property in the woods, and that guy had a gun that he used to point at your son, no offense, Hank, but I dare to doubt that you are setting the right priorities."

"My son -"

"Hank." Adam stood up and placed a hand on the shoulder of Percy, Zane was protesting with a whimper and Liz' eyes shot up automatically.

She stared at the man without realizing what he was saying next. Despite her determination not to look at him or think about him, she just couldn't take her eyes off him.

The two men assessed each other. But as Adam appeared to be warm, Hank looked cold.

Hank looked at Chaz, then at the boy. "All right, Percy, tell us what's going on."

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After the teenager told his story, everyone was on alert. Not because Percy had burnt down a house, but because of the hooded man who was walking around nearby and willing to shoot anyone who bothered him. After the story was over, Frankie offered Hank and Percy to drive them home.

Liz walked Adam to the door and frowned a little, she looked at the still sleeping boy and wanted to touch him, to run a hand through his hair only to make him look at her. Instead, she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans and sighed."

It seemed like Adam didn't want to leave either. He cleared his throat. "Thanks for taking care of Percy."

She smiled tightly and shrugged. "I almost didn't recognize him. He got so tall."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "He did."

"I didn't know that they are living in Boston now. Why didn't Sherly came to pick Percy up?"

He was silent for a moment, looking down at his still-sleeping son. Then he clenched his teeth. "Sherly died two years ago, that's why Hank and Percy moved to Boston."

Liz' eyes went wide, and she blushed. She blushed because she seemed to have torn an old wound open, but at the same time, she understood why the teenager looked so lost. "I didn't -"

"How could you," Adam asked when she trailed off and shrugged lightly. "Since Percy lost you and his mother … he became a troublemaker."

"I had to leave, Adam," she whispered on the edge of tears.

"Why?" He whispered back and brushed the skin of her arm with his fingertips. He wasn't sure what made him touch her, but he couldn't suppress the need to do so any longer.

She closed her eyes and wanted to step away from him. Instead, she swallowed hard and opened her mouth to answer his question. She wanted to get over with it, she wanted a lot of things. She wanted the time back that has been stolen from her five years ago, she wanted to be able watching her son growing up, she wanted to be a part of Zane's life, she wanted to be a part of Adam's life. Now, she wanted to stand on her toes and kiss the man in front of her. She wanted to …

"Mommy," a tiny voice asked sleepily.

The question pulled her out of the train of thoughts, she looked down at the boy, who was now looking at her with bleary eyes, and her heart dropped. She couldn't think, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak right now.

Zane tried to wriggle out of his father's arms and looked at a frown at him because Adam didn't let go of him and Liz started to chew on the inside of her cheek.

Now, she understood that everything that her mothers had told her had been true, that they really told Zane about her, and that the kid must think that she was a part of his life the whole time, but she wasn't. She missed important stages. That's why she didn't even try to take Zane from Adam's arms.

Zane huffed and still try to wriggle out of Adam's arms. "Why?" The child grunted annoyed.

Liz' eyebrows shot up high and looked at the man in front of her.

Adam rolled his eyes in amusement. He knew well why the boy recognized his mother immediately and tried to reach her. Every single night after Liz had left them, he told Zane about all the adventures he and Liz had experienced before Zane was born, about their life and work in a children's version. And that she'd be always a part of Zane, no matter where she'd be.

He sighed and released his son because he wouldn't stop anyway.

"Oh." Liz gasped the second Zane climbed into her arms and glanced at him like she didn't know what to do, at the same time something stirred in her chest. "Okay."

Zane scrutinized her with intense brown eyes like he was trying to figure out that he didn't mistake this woman for his mother, then he buried his face in her neck, mumbling. "Hi, Mommy." He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world, and Liz exhaled shakily and held the boy close to her with threatening tears in her eyes. She was longing for a moment like this for so many years and had imagined all kind of horror scenarios of the day she might come back into Zane's life, but a scenario like did, she didn't think of. She closed her eyes and the tears ran down her cheeks. "Hi," she whispered, and a smile was around her lips. "Hi, baby."


	5. Chapter 5

Jane sat at the dining table, studying a file with furrowed brows like it would tell her more than it did. Like it would give her more answers than her daughter did when she visited her best friends house. Something was bugging her, the thought that Liz hasn't told her the whole story, that all of this was bigger than they thought. She leaned back in her chair and heaved a sigh. "I really would love to talk to that Detective Danielson." She said and rubbed her tired eyes. Since she got to know about Percy's arson and the man in the woods, she barely slept and kept digging, just like her brother and Adam.

Maura was standing at the kitchen island and wiggled her brow. She was feeling the same way her wife did. "You are aware of the fact that he's living in California, aren't you?"

The Italian crossed her arms over her chest and nodded slowly. "It doesn't mean that I can't talk to him, Maura."

"But your face is saying that you'd like to talk to Danielson in person."

Jane frowned and turned her head to the smaller woman. "Am I that obvious?"

Maura smiled broadly at the other woman and nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are to me, Jane."

Jane groaned and got up from her chair, walked to the fridge and got herself a bottle of water out of it, and opened it. "You know, all of this makes no sense. I mean, what made Liz runoff and keeps her mouth shut even though she knows that all of us are on her side. I get the feeling that she's about to run again, and to leave us behind with more questions than answers."

"At least we know that she's alive," Maura stated and didn't smile when the former detective lowered the bottle slowly, but on the inside she did.

Jane opened her mouth to reply something but then she decided to give up. "Don't pretend that you haven't been worried sick for all those years, Maura."

"Oh, I have been, yes." The smaller woman agreed without hesitation and without shame.

The Italian leaned her hip against the counter and took a swig from the bottle. "It bothers me that people still say about Liz that she has mental issues. I mean, there were no indices for it."

Maura nodded slowly and licked her lips. "Time change a person Jane."

"Yeah, I know that, Maura." The former detective replied and took a deep breath. "But they make it sound like she's been suffering of it for, I don't know, since her childhood and that we didn't see it or didn't want to see it. Is it possible, Maura? If it possible that we have been too busy with our own lives that we missed our daughter's mental issues?"

Maura sighed herself and took the hand of her wife in hers, leading both of them to the living room and sat down on the couch. She had to admit it, she asked herself the same question ever since she heard of Chaz' being knocked out and the dead police officer James Waterston, and that her very own daughter had been the number one suspect. She asked herself the same question after she was told that Liz' apparently had cut her wrists. She turned to the brunette and glanced long at her before she said, "We have been busy, yes, but we never have been that busy that we neglected our daughter or to miss things like mental issues. You haven't been that busy, Jane. And you would have noticed any kind of behavioral disorders of Elizabeth, and you would have been highly alerted the moment you noticed it. And I know that you would have come to me and asked me for advice. No, we haven't been too busy with ourselves, Jane. We did everything possible we could do to raise a good child." She still saw the hint of doubt in brown eyes and skidded closer. "You are a good mom, Jane."

"Just as you," Jane mumbled and leaned back, another sigh escaped from her mouth. "Perhaps I should have been alerted when she started to sleep with every single male after she broke off with Adam."

"You mean after he was shot and almost died?"

"That's no reason to whore around." She flinched after Maura hit her shoulder hard. "What was that for?"

"For the entire sentence that came out of your mouth. Back then she was troubled."

Jane rubbed her shoulder and clenched her jaw. "I've been shot several times, too, but that didn't make you sleep with every single guy who crossed your way." She paused and furled her brows. "Or haven't you been troubled when I got injured?"

"Of course, I have been, Jane. What makes you believe I haven't distracted myself while you recovered." Maura replied and got up from the couch.

Jane blinked a couple of times before she followed the smaller woman. "You are kidding, right?" She frowned when she didn't get an answer. She knew that her wife was faithful to her, she never doubted it for a second, but Maura's silence started to worry her. "Maura?"

The former ME started to chuckle and turned to her wife. "Of course, I was just kidding, Jane. Do you really think I am a person who could cheat on her partner?"

"Actually, you cheated on your ex-husband with me." The Italian stated and regretted it immediately she saw the look on the smaller woman's face. "Sorry."

"You made me cheat on Benjamin."

"Well I didn't hold a gun to your head and forced you to have sex with me, did I?" Jane retorted and furrowed her brows. She once told herself not to think back at the DA and ex-husband of Maura since she got married to Maura. She never liked this man, Benjamin Payton. Somehow, he seemed devious and glib to her, and that kept her on the edge every time he was around her. She had no idea why she suddenly was thinking of him. She pursed her lips and was about to say something else when her phone started to buzz on the dining table. She got it in her hand and furled her brows. "Well, before I'll talk to Danielson, I'll talk to our dear daughter first."

Maura recognized the seriousness of her wife's voice and walked up to her. "What's wrong, Jane?"

Jane clenched her jaw and showed the blonde the message she just received.

Maura's brows shot up.

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Liz stood in front of the house of her mothers and studied it carefully, noticing that not much had changed. She took a deep breath and knocked carefully on the door. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, that was the house she spent most of the time as a teenager in it. She smiled forced at Maura as the older woman opened the front door, but it's accompanied with a small frown. "Hey, Mom."

Maura's face, on the other hand, was straight and Liz' smile dropped instantly. "Come in."

Liz cleared her throat and entered the house with hesitance, looking around in the entrance hall. "Okay. Um, you want to talk to me about something?"

Maura didn't look at her and led the way into the living room. "Ma wants to talk to you."

"About what?"

Maura slowed her steps for a second and glanced seriously at her daughter. "You better ask her that yourself."

"Okay," Liz replied and frowned. "what is going on?"

"You tell us," Jane stated when the two women entered the kitchen and pointed at a chair next to her. "Sit."

Liz realized that she was here because of a serious matter and did as Jane told, waiting for the older woman to look at her instead at the monitor of her laptop.

But Jane didn't, instead, she asked directly, "You still don't wanna tell us why you vanished?" Finally, she looked from the monitor when she didn't get a response only to see that Liz clenched her jaw. "It seems like you literally have fallen off the face of the earth until the day you started to work with Detective Danielson again." She stated and turned the device to her daughter to show her the information she had gotten from her friend Joe Talaro. She gave her daughter time to explain herself and leaned back in the chair. "According to my friend, there have been no bank account, no tenancy agreement and no contract of employment of yours until you partnered up with Danielson."

Liz listened carefully and took a deep breath. "That must be a hell of a friend of yours."

"Don't be a smart ass." The former detective warned and glared at her. "You kept yourself off the radar for three years, you took a hell off an effort to stay invisible and then you reappeared? There has to be a reason."

Liz' raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. "Why don't you go and asked your friend what made me do … reappearing."

"I swear to God -" Jane growled low and shut the device forcefully. "We are trying to help you, Liz."

"I don't need any of your help." The younger woman replied louder and glared back at her mother.

"Apparently you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been under arrest for murder. Without Frankie and Adam -"

"Oh, stop that already," Liz growled and got up from the chair.

"Without them, you'd be charged with murder. Chaz, your friend was beaten up quite badly and a former co-worker of yours is dead -"

"Yes," the younger woman shouted which made Jane shut up. "Yes, Ma, I am quite aware of those facts and that I have to live with the consequences. I don't need you rubbing it in my face. If I wouldn't have shown up in Boston, Chaz wouldn't have been beaten up and Waterston would still be alive, all of this is on me and I know it."

"Why did you made a stop in Boston," Maura gently asked the moment her wife opened her mouth and she knew that this would only escalate if she wouldn't interfere.

Jane huffed and clenched her jaw.

Liz, on the other hand, relaxed at the sound of the blonde's voice and sighed. "I'm only human, Mom. The moment I knew I was going to pass Boston, I gave Chaz a call to check on how my godson and my very own son were doing, he told me to meet with him, so he'd tell me all of them." She paused and closed her eyes briefly. "It was a mistake, though."

Jane still glared at the younger woman and furled her brows. "You gave Chaz a call that you'd be in Boston, but it didn't cross your mind to inform us?"

"To keep you safe," the young brunette replied and wanted to stuff the words back down her throat the moment she saw the puzzled looks of her mothers. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes briefly. "Otherwise, you'd be the one who ended up in the morgue, Ma."

"I wouldn't." Jane laughed.

"Tell that Waterston," Liz mumbled under her breath and the former detective frowned.

Maura glanced long at Jane and then she stepped a little closer to Liz. "Why do you think that your mother and I would need protection?"

Liz started to wring her hands nervously like Jane did when she was bothered by something and sighed. "I'm talking about everyone for whom I truly care."

That made Jane sit up and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Who is coming after you?"

Liz looked long at the former detective and told herself that her mother wasn't wrong when she told her that her instincts weren't sharp any more. She heaved a sigh and licked her lips. "I don't know."

Maura was the one who as highly alerted now. "Someone is harassing you," she asked and the younger woman simply wiggled her brows. "For how long?"

Jane got up from her chair and stepped closer to her daughter. "Let me take a wild guess. For five years, right?"

Maura took the silence as a yes and asked with a high-pitched voice. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Mom." Liz groaned.

"Because the person who is still after she threatened to come for us if she'd let us in, that's what Elizabeth made leave without a second thought."

Maura looked confused at her wife. "Why are you thinking so?"

Jane didn't break the eye contact with Liz and sighed. "Because that's the only thing that would make me leave without saying a final goodbye: And that would be the only thing that would make me stay away from the ones I love even though it'd kill me bit by bit every single damn day."

Liz was silent and licked her lips, closing her eyes without realizing that a tear ran down her cheek.

Jane sighed but her voice was gently when she asked, "How the hell got you into that, kid?"

The younger woman took a deep breath and shrugged, brows furrowed. "Actually, I have no idea. I mean, I still was on maternity leave and went to the park or the grocery with Zane then usual when I got the feeling that someone was watching and following us. With time I also started to feel paranoid but shook the feeling off, told myself that I'm about to go crazy. But then I started to receive emails and voicemails that someone would come for me and those I love and kill them when they're fast asleep and if I tell someone about it. I got pictures of persons … people who were … slaughtered … literally. And there were messages under it which were written Your husband is next … Your son is next … Your Ma is next … Do not get involved in police business again."

Jane waited and frowned. "After you left, you started your private investigation?"

Liz sat down on her chair again and heaved a sigh. "Not exactly. I also have connections, Ma. After some time, I asked a friend of mine to trace the messages and that led me to California, I was trying to find the bastard who was threatening my family and my friends, and it led me to the police department I was working for."

"So got into police business again?"

"And things got worse. The person who is doing this is watching you guys. They sent me pictures of you the present day, all of you. That's why I agreed to meet Chaz, besides the fact I've really craved to hear how you guys are doing, all of you. I am not that cold, Ma."

Jane nodded slowly and glanced worriedly at her wife. "What made you return to the police?"

Maura obviously shared Jane's worries but kept her mouth shut.

Liz glanced at both women and shrugged. "A friend of my friend was investigating cases of cops who appeared to be dirty and he asked for an insider. I owed my friend and I volunteered for the job."

"Danielson is dirty?"

"I'm not sure of that, but he's hiding something."

Jane started to head for the front door. "I'm so going to see that guy."

Maura made a step forward. "Jane -"

The former detective turned to the blonde and frowned. "No one's gonna hurt my baby." She glanced at her daughter as soon as she saw the smile of Maura. "I'm talking about Liz."

"I know." The former ME laughed and Liz grunted.

But then the younger woman was the one who followed the older woman. "Ma?"

Jane craved to hear the name but turned with a sigh. "Yeah." She found herself in a tight hug of her daughter and stiffened for a moment, but then she relaxed and hugged Liz back. "I'll be alright, kid. Don't worry about me."

"Easier said." The younger woman mumbled and released her mother again. "Please take care."

"I will, Lizzy."

"And Ma?"

"Yes, kid?"

"I have to get something off my chest for a while."

Jane tensed again. "Go ahead."

Liz smiled broadly and said, "I love you, Ma."

A smile broke free and Jane nodded once. "I love you, too, baby. Very much." She pulled away again and looked at the smiling doctor. "Now I'm even more craving for a chat with Detective Danielson."

Maura nodded slowly in agreement


	6. Chapter 6

A little time had passed and the whole situation had calmed down a little.

Yes, Jane and Maura had even managed to re-establish a closer relationship with their long-lost daughter, but the two older women had also realized that it would never be the same again like the relationship they had before Liz left Boston in the dead of the night without leaving a single note.

Jane could understand in a certain way why her only daughter had simply disappeared to protect her family.

The former detective would probably have done the same but it wouldn't have taken her five years to reappear out of nowhere.

„Jane, what's going on in the head of yours," Maura wanted to know while she was packing a moving box.

The brunette straightened up and frowned deeply. „I just wonder why you volunteered us to get the rest of Liz' stuff from San Diego."

Maura also frowned and bit her lip which caused Jane to quirk an eyebrow.

„Spit it, woman!"

Maura rolled her eyes and straightened up, too. „I just wanted Elizabeth and Adam to reconnect."

„I think they've reconnected several times since Liz is back," Jane grumbled and went back to pack the books in the bookshelf. She flinched when something hit her back and she turned to her wife just to see that the blonde scowled at her. „Ow!" In fact, the scatter cushion hadn't caused her any pain. „That wasn't very nice of you."

„Don't be pathetic!"

„Excuse me," Jane replied and rolled dramatically her shoulders.

Maura grinned broadly and took a deep breath.

The brunette lift the heavy box and carried it to those who were already standing at the front door, groaning. „I can't understand why our daughter still has so many things in California."

Maura took a deep breath and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. „How long did you keep your apartment after we got together?"

„That was different?"

„Why?"

Jane went to the fridge and hoped she'd find some cool water in it. „Because ... Because I didn't know if you'd go back to Ben after he begged you doing so on his knees." She knew that it was a really lame excuse. She rolled her eyes and growled low. „Yeah, I know that leaving an apartment empty for more than half a year wasn't exactly my best idea, but I had my reasons. What if you and me wouldn't have worked our?" She tugged in her chin and lowered her brows. „I had those thoughts then. And why am I -" She stopped abruptly and her left hand flew to her left hip out of sheer habit as she heard someone shoving a key into the door lock. Even Maura was immediately on high alert and walked several steps towards her wife.

The door opened and a tall dark-haired man entered the apartment. He stopped dead the moment he spotted the two women. „Who are you and what are you doing in this apartment?"

Jane frowned and pointed at the blonde. „We are the parents of the owner and we get her things to Boston. And who the hell are you?"

Suddenly the mood in the room changed completely and the stranger approached the former detective with a broad smile, reaching out his hand. „My name is Eduardo Russo, the owner's boyfriend. I'm happy to finally meet you, Liz has talked a lot about you two."

Maura gasped in horror but shook Russo' hand without saying a word. It didn't matter how shocked she was at the woman, she hadn't forgotten her good manners.

Jane, on the other hand, shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and furrowed her brows. „Your Liz' boyfriend?"

He dropped his hand and cleared his throat. „Yes, Ma'am."

Jane scoffed and looked dark at her wife. „I wonder what Adam's gonna say about that."

Maura closed her eyes slowly and sighed heavily.

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Liz had to grin widely when Zane climbed on her lap and showed her proudly the picture that he had painted in the last hour. It showed the boy, Adam and her when they had been in the park today.

She ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek with a loud smack.

He giggled and leaned against her. „Will you now stay with us, Mama?"

Liz furrowed her brows and held her breath for a second. She wondered how he had come up with the idea that she'd leave her family again.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him and kissed the top of his head. „Yes, baby. I'm gonna stay with you. I will never leave you again. I promise you."

The boy turned a little so he could glance at her insistently. „Did you miss me?"

Liz smiled sadly and nodded slowly. „Every single second of the day when I couldn't be with you. Zane. I ... I thought about you when I woke up and you were the last thought when I went to bed. I missed you so much, honey."

Zane looked long at her before he straightened up a little and wrapped his little arms around her neck. „I missed you too, Mama."

The young woman closed her eyes briefly and had to suppress her tears, but then she felt the presence of another person and looked into the eyes of her husband.

Adam took a deep breath and glanced at his watch. „The plane in which your parents are lands in an hour. I can pick them up alone at the airport."

She furrowed her brows and mouthed, „Thank you." She looked at her son with a smile but frowned. „How about we go and get some ice cream?"

Zane beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

Liz put him down on the floor and nodded once. „Go and put on your shoes and bring me your jacket."

The boy took off without warning and almost ran into his father.

Liz rolled her eyes but laughed as she slowly stood up and walked towards Adam.

Adam smiled but there was a certain sadness in his blue eyes. „Zane asked for you every day."

The young woman pressed her lips together and sighed. „What did you tell him?"

He sighed loudly and set his jaw for a moment. „That you'll come home when the time is right."

Liz closed the distance and wrapped her arms around the tall detective. She placed her ear over his heart and listened to his steady heartbeat, the heartbeat she had missed all these years. „I'm so sorry, Adam," she whispered emphatically and closed her eyes. „I can understand it when you despise me or think that I'm a ice-cold bitch. Sometimes I think that about myself."

„I don't despise you and I don't think you're a cold bitch either, otherwise I wouldn't be here with you. I wouldn't have gotten involved with you again, Liz. But I have to admit -" He trailed off and she glanced up. „But I have to admit that I'm scared of you breaking my heart again and that you disappear. After you were gone without leaving a message I wondered over and over again what I'd done wrong and at some point I started to believe that I would never see you alive again. I thought that some morgue would call me some time to get me there to identify your body. This thought kept me awake every night, I couldn't sleep because I was waiting for this call."

„I'm so sorry," she whispered once more in a husky voice and frowned.

He nodded slowly and took a deep breath as he trailed her face with his fingers. „I know."

Adam lowered his head and kissed his wife long.

„Yuck," someone suddenly said.

Liz broke the kiss and smirked before turning her head to her son. „Ready to go?"

Zane nodded and went with jacket with his mother. „Yep."

The young father rolled his eyes and shook his head. „Shall I drop you guys off somewhere?"

Liz helped her son into the jacket and glanced at with furrowed brows. „Nah, I'm borrowing Ma's car."

The detective blinked several times and frowned. „Jane will be thrilled."

„I know," the young woman laughed and shrugged amused.

Adam scoffed and followed her and Zane toward the front door.

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„I'm not sure it was right that we told Adam about Eduardo," Maura stated and folded the blanket back.

Jane's face was unreadable and wiggled her brows. „And I would've found it wrong if we hadn't told Adam about the guy in San Diego. What if this Russo would suddenly show up in Boston and smother Liz with kisses? Would you like it if a woman from my past suddenly shows up and kiss me right in front of you?"

Maura stopped dead and frowned. „There are no women from your past I don't know about."

„Exactly!"

„What if this was the straw to break the camel's back?"

Jane pulled her tank top over her head and sighed. „You know I love our daughter idolatrously and that I would never sabotage any of her relationship."

„Oh? What about Hanley?"

„Hanley's a psychopath, Maura. I sensed from the beginning that something was wrong with him."

„And Adam? Why did you freak out when Liz told us that she was dating the new detective?"

The Italian opened her mouth but closed it again a second later. She frowned and searched for a good answer. „I did not freak out, I wasn't excited that she was dating another colleague. And besides, Adam hasn't turned out to be a cop killer, has he?"

Maura scoffed and lay down on her side of the bed. „And what if she's only committed to him because of Zane?"

Jane was about to turn off her beside lamp and stopped dead. „Why would you say that?"

Maura sighed heavily and turned her head to her wife. „There are couples who are falling out of love over time, Jane."

Jane slipped underneath the blanket and frowns. „Yes, I know. My parents were the perfect example. Is there anything you're trying to tell me, Maura?"

Maura chuckled and skidded closer to her wife. „You know that I love you, and only you, 'til death do us part."

Jane smirked broadly and kissed the blonde tenderly. „I know. I love you too, Maura."

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Adam was lying on his side of the bed and stared at Liz with a deep frown, his arms pressed tightly to his sides so he wouldn't reach out. „Who's Eduardo Russo?"

Liz stared back at him and didn't move a bit. „He was the one who was supposed to recruit me for the FBI after the agency contacted Winters."

„What does he mean to you?"

„Nothing."

„That's why introduced himself to your mothers as your boyfriend?"

„Adam, it's complicated," the young woman whispered back.

He shook his head and set his jaw. „No, it's not."

Liz licked her lips and inhaled deeply. „He was a ... distraction back in San Diego."

„You lived together," the detective wanted to know, and Liz closed her eyes briefly.

„Yes."

He took a brief moment and still stared at her. „You lived together. Why did you lie to me when I asked you if have been with someone else?"

She shook her head and shrugged with a painful smile on her lips. „Would you have reacted differently?"

He swallowed down his upcoming anger. „Don't dodge my question, Elizabeth."

She licked her lips once more and sighed. „Because I didn't want to hurt you any more than you already are."

His facial muscles twitched with anger. „So you'd rather lie to me instead telling me that you fucked your FBI recruiter?"

Liz exhaled shakily. „I am so sorry, Adam."

Adam closed his eyes with furled brows. „Stop saying that you're sorry."

She wanted to reach out but instead she skidded closer to the hurt man. „I ... I never stopped loving you, Adam, but when I lived in San Diego ... I didn't feel the same for Russo as I do for you. You have to believe me."

„But you liked him?"

„It was just sex," she replied and swallowed hard as her husband stopped breathing. „I never told Russo that I'd like him or that I'd love him. Hell, I haven't even said his first name. Russo had lived an hour and a half from his office and I didn't want to be alone anymore, so I suggested that he stay with me for some time."

„So you got the rent in kind?"

Liz sighed again and nodded slowly. „Kinda."

Adam snorted and his face darkened. „Great." He paused and pressed his lips together. „Right now, I wish I could hate you."

She opened her mouth but closed it immediately again, instead of saying something she reached out and ran her fingers over the still visible scar on Adam's chest. „I still remember that day," she whispered and knew that she was changing the subject, he didn't move. „I thought I'd lose you and I knew that moment that I would never survive that. That's why I thought breaking up with you would be the best solution, for both of us. And I was hoping that we could be friends after our ... wounds have healed."

„We've been friends," Adam whispered back and smiled a little.

The young brunette smiled broadly. „More or less!"

„What do you mean?"

„Every time we ran into each other in our favorite pub, I was thinking about kissing you."

Adam finally grinned broadly. „So you were stalking me?"

Liz really laughed for the first time. „It was the favorite pub of both of us. There was hardly a cop who didn't went there, remember?"

„Right," he chuckled. „I picked you up there."

„You tried because you lost a bet back then. Your friends wanted you to hook me up but you were too much of a gentleman."

„Remember?"

„Of course I remember. That's why I fell in love with you, Adam. Because you never lied to me or pushed me. On the contrary, I still remember when you brought me home after our first date and turned me down although I wanted you to come into my apartment after we made out in the hallway."

Adam laughed briefly and placed his hand on her hip to pull her closer. „Yeah, it was a pretty though call, though, but I knew immediately that you are special."

Liz ran her hand through his short hair and looked him deep in the eye. „You're the one who's special, Adam. You always took me back no matter what I did to you," she smiled as he pulls her even closer. „And back in time I always thought I wasn't made for marriage, but after meeting you I knew that I wanted to grow old with you. When I had to leave you and Zane, apart of me died, Adam. I ... I couldn't leave you a note because I knew that you'd be looking for me as soon as you read it, that you'd have the whole BPD looking out for me -" she trailed off and frowned. „Please say something."

He looked at her long and shook his head. „No matter what I got to know today, I still can't believe that you are really here and that I am the lucky one to call you my wife."

Liz smiled relieved. „I couldn't wait to see you again." She tugged on one of his gray hair. „Even though I didn't think I'd see you again when you are white."

Adam laughed warmly and suddenly he hoovered his wife.

She laughed herself and ran her hand over his bare shoulder, knowing that some habits would never change.

They both got serious when Liz pulled his head down and gave him no other choice but to kiss her.

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Jane burst into Adam's kitchen the next morning and was about to shout out for her daughter, but then the older Italian stopped when she spotted Liz standing in the kitchen. „Good morning?"

Liz had a neutral expression while stirring eggs in a metal bowl. „Hey."

Jane paused when she saw the serious face of her daughter when she entered the room. The older brunette cleared her throat and sat down at the counter. „You're making breakfast?"

Liz looked down at the bowl while beating the eggs with a whisk. „Apparently." She didn't stop but set her jaw. „Why did you and Mom tell Adam about Eduardo Russo?"

„Why didn't you tell your husband about your former lover?"

„Because currently I'm trying to fix my family. A former lover doesn't help very much."

„Oh," Jane laughed sarcastically. „You're trying to fix your family now? After you let them down for years? Do you really think that everything will be fine again after a few months? Do you really think that they'll forget the past?"

Liz stopped the beating and looked seriously at her mother. „Is there something you wanna say, Mother?"

Jane lowered her brows and resisted the urge to slap her daughter. „I've wanted to tell you some things for some time, kid!"

„Go ahead!"

Jane shifted on her chair and furrowed her brows. „Are you aware of what your family went through when you disappeared without a trace? I'm not just talking about Adam and Zane, I'm talking about your mother and me, too. We're your family. Too. Liz. We barely slept because we were looking for you, and then you reappeared as a murder suspect." She stood up again and walked around the counter. „When I heard that you were taken to hospital after your arrest I almost had to chain your mother to the heater because she wanted to go to there and finally see you again. I had to convince her that I first wanted to make sure that you were fine under these circumstances. I was beyond relieved that your Mom didn't come with me because you were strapped to your hospital bed and drugged. It was bad enough Adam and I had to see you in that state."

Liz looked seriously at her mother and placed the bowl on the counter. „Adam was the reason I got arrested in the first place."

The older Italian scoffed and furrowed her brows. „Adam was just doing his job that day, so you can't blame him for that, Liz. And he was the one hadn't doubt your innocence for a sec. He was the one who asked your Mom and me to help him taking the heat off you." She stepped closer to her daughter and glanced insistently at her. „So, instead blaming him for arresting you all over again, you should thank him for not giving you up and for trying to clear your name. In trying to rehabilitate you, he put his reputation and his career at risk."

Liz pressed her lips together and avoided eye contact with Jane. She was fully aware of what her parents and husband had done for her to clear her name.

She had also decided not to approach her husband any more for having done his job and arresting her, she now knew the evidence.

If she'd have been in his shoes, she'd also arrest the suspect and most likely wouldn't have been convinced that the person had a memory loss and about their innocence.

The young woman crossed her arms over her chest with a frown and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

She had blamed herself everyday after she disappeared in Boston that she gotten involved in such an operation. She had blamed herself every day for not talking to Adam or her parents that the San Diego police got in touch with her because they wanted her to mingle with their people to eradicate the black sheep.

She blamed herself because she had to tear down her whole life that she'd built up with Adam with one blow. At that time she had also been aware of what she would do to her family with her disappearance and yet she had accepted the job.

Today she couldn't say what made her decide to leave her whole life in Boston behind.

Sure, she hated dirty cops, but that couldn't have been her motive because in her hometown were more then enough of them, too.

On some days in San Diego she even asked herself if she had enough of the daily life in Boston and wanted to escape it with the undercover operation. She could never really answer that question. „I know there are no words for what I did to you," the young woman whispered all of a sudden without looking at Jane and swallowing hard. „And I know that I can't pretend that none of this ever happened. I can't undo the last few years, Ma, as much as I want to. Unfortunately, I can't turn back time. I wish I could have attend Zane's birthdays I've missed, and yours and Mom's. I -" She gasped and glanced at the ceiling. „We all missed so many precious moments with each other, moments which are lost forever."

Jane took a deep breath and nodded slowly. What moments are we actually talking about?"

Liz took the bowl back into her hands, smirked and wiggled her brows.

„You don't have kids in San Diego with this Russo, do you?"

„Actually three."

The former detective started swaying and she braced herself on the counter. „What," she breathed.

Liz grunted and started to smirk broadly. „It was just a joke, Ma. I actually learned what contraceptives are about."

Jane huffed, grabbed a nearby dishtowel and throw it at her daughter. „Oh, you! Now I really wish I could go back in time when you were still a sweet little innocent girl and teach you what protection is about properly."

The young woman laughed heartily and shrugged. „I guess then you'd miss your grandson."

Jane sighed loudly and finally poured herself a cup of coffee with a smile. Yes, her daughter was right. She'd really miss her only grandson. But then she turned serious again. „I'm serious, Liz. Do you and this Russo have -"

„Kids?" The young woman cut her mother off and frowned. „Do you really think I would withhold you and Mom my children?"

The former detective opened her mouth but closed it again immediately.

The young woman recognized the hesitation and shook her head. „No, Russo and have no kids. The only child I have is Zane and he's Adam's son."

„You sure?"

Liz' mouth dropped open and she glanced shocked at her mother.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys. Thank you for your reviews of the last chapter. I really was scared that it'd get me in trouble cuz it was graphical and not Jane and Maura. To be honest, it scared the shit out of me when I published me. I am also really happy that you like this story even though it's more about Adam Laverty and Elizabeth Rizzoli. I promise that there will be more of Jane and Maura, cross my heart.**

 **Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH.**

 **I hope you'll like this update as much as I enjoyed it writing. And as always, you're welcome to share your thoughts.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73.**

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Adam was sitting in his rental some days later and watched the old Ford Mustang of Danielson, he wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he had the feeling that this guy would lead him to the person who was behind all of this, and his gut told him that it wasn't only Payton and Hanley. He closed his eyes and tried to forget the fight he had with Liz after he told her, Jane and Maura about his plan, that he was moving in a grey zone because he didn't have power in San Diego if Frankie didn't agree that he'd be on duty here as he would be in Boston. And at the same time, he was glad about it because leaving Frankie out of all that cut them some slack. He grabbed the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white and clenched his jaw. He hadn't talked to Liz for real since he got to know that she knew who was after her but kept it for herself and that she didn't tell him that the ex-husband of Maura was the new lawyer of Hanley. He looked up the work of Payton and was impressed and was almost sure that Payton would find a way to get Hanley out of jail by just talking and playing his charm, which would mean that all of them would be at risk. "Over my dead body," he mumbled to himself and got out of the car the second Danielson stumbled out of a shady restaurant and followed him until Danielson rounded the corner. He needed to jog a little before he draped his arm around the shoulders of the older man and smiled tightly when Danielson looked puzzled at him. "Remember me, old man?"

Danielson looked nervously at him but let Adam led the direction. "You're the cop from Boston, Rizzoli's husband."

Adam laughed Harley and looked at a woman who was watching them carefully, patting Danielson's shoulder hard, ignoring that the other man winced. "Oh, my. That's my boy. You really remember me." He led Danielson into an alley of a construction site and looked over his shoulder before he punched the older man in the belly. "I'm really glad about it." He growled through gritted teeth and Danielson went down on his knees with a groan. Adam grabbed him at his shoulders and stared him dead in the eye. "If you don't leave my wife or my family alone, I am coming after you, and I will hunt you, and I will kill you. And if that's the last thing I'll do in my life." He pushed Danielson against the site fence and pressed his forearm to his throat until Danielson started to struggle to breathe. Adam whispered angrily into Danielson's ear. He opened his mouth but slammed his fist into Danielson's face, glaring him. "And you can tell your fucking boss that I'm coming for him. No one threatens the people I love, especially not my son. Tell him that this was his mistake." He heard Danielson gurgling and pressed his arm harder against his throat. "Fight, Danielson. Fight like Elizabeth fought three of you sick bastards." He watched the panic rising in the older man but kept on pushing until his brain kicked in again and released the older man. Danielson stumbled forward and coughed. Adam didn't make the attempt to help him. "You remember what I told you?" He waited until the older man nodded. "You'll bring my word to Payton and Hanley?"

"I will." Danielson coughed.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

The older man stumbled forward the moment Adam let go of him and watched the taller man walk away slowly. "It's not like I'd have another choice." He mumbled under his breath and got his phone out of the pocket of his shorts.

Adam didn't look back to check if Danielson might point a gun, that he hadn't checked for, at him. He was sure that the other man would be sneaky enough to shoot him in the back without a second thought, or in the back of his head to make sure that he wouldn't make it and had the chance to tell someone that Adam knew about his connection to Payton and Hanley. Adam held his breath and swallowed hard, he had to force himself to stay calm and not to run out of the alley, not to show any signs of weakness. He was sure if he'd show his fear and uncertainty, Danielson wouldn't hesitate to grab a steel pipe or the next two-by-four he'd grab and cleaved his head open. Adam closed his eyes for a second and prepared himself for the impact, tried to think of the good things in his before he took his last breath. Adam was surprised that the first thought that came to his mind was about the woman who put him in this situation. He knew that not everything was bad and that they had their good moments together, great moments. If his friends hadn't forced him years ago to go and talk to her, he probably wouldn't have a son he loved from the bottom of his heart and who made him even more proud every day, let alone mothers-in-law who didn't blame him for Liz' disappearance, not all the time. He had worked on cases in which a spouse disappeared and turned up dead after some time. Either the parents of the victim cast the blame on the partner by claiming that he or she was the murderer or casting the blame on them because they were the deciding reason why the victim ran away.

Adam knew he wasn't perfect, that he had his flaws and that those would make some women run away without hesitance after they figured his flaws out, and he'd understand that. He wouldn't do it differently. He rounded the corner and exhaled loudly because he doubted that Danielson would shoot him in broad daylight. He unlocked the rental and got inside of it but didn't start the engine right away. He heaved a sigh and frowned a little. Of course, Jane and Maura had asked him if Liz and he would have had marital problems that made her run, but after he answered in the negative several times, both women understood that there had to be another reason why their daughter disappeared. Now he understood, too.

He closed his eyes for a moment before he started the engine and tried to block his upcoming anger out. He was mad at Liz for not telling them that her ex-boyfriend wanted her dead, and not telling them that the ex-husband of Maura, who happened to be a former DA, wanted to get his revenge, too.

Two birds with one stone, he thought to himself and clenched his jaw. He was sure that any other person would run as fast as possible from the Rizzoli family and would never look back at them, but he had obligations and would never think of keeping Maura's and Jane's only grandson from them. His parents asked him to pull up stakes and to move back in their closer area, but he told him that they hadn't raised that kind of person who'd run as soon as problems turned up and that he would never deny his mothers-in-law the contact with his son, no matter what Liz had done. He also told his parents that they taught him that there is nothing more important than family, no matter what, that family would stand up for each. That made his parents stop to ask him to leave Boston and they arranged their visiting time with Maura and Jane.

That also was the reason why he was here right now even though he had enough work to do in Boston. Here, in San Diego, with Jane and Maura, and Liz, who got them into hot water. Because of the breeding of his parents. He could have been looking for another house or even an apartment in the close area of Zane's grandmothers, but he didn't, he wasn't really sure why. Maybe he was hoping that his wife would come back home one say and explain everything. She came back, and everything became worse.

He took a deep breath and nodded to himself like he was trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, but then he slammed his right hand against the steering wheel, growling through clenched teeth, "Damn it!"

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Liz still smiled when she closed the lid of her laptop. Before she left for San Diego again she had to promise her son to give him a video call every single day and she tried to keep that promise because before she called Zane, Leslie sent her a message and asked if she'd had to explain to the boy why his mother wouldn't be able to get in touch for the day. Liz started to understand that the redhead had a great part in Zane's life too and it hurt her that he had to turn to women who weren't her. It surprised her that he didn't quarrel with her being back in his life, and it surprised her how easy it was for Zane to call her mom. It seemed like that he was waiting for this chance his whole life and that he wouldn't let her go so easily again, and if she was true to herself, she wasn't planning on hiding anymore. But if I have to keep him safe? If I have to keep my mothers safe, Adam? She closed her eyes and ran the fingers of her left hand over her brow the moment she felt a headache coming up. Her eyes snapped open again the moment she heard someone clearing their throat. She glanced at Maura who was sitting on the couch and was reading in a medical magazine, frowning. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom."

The former ME glanced at her for a brief moment and nodded. "I know."

"I don't need a watchdog."

"I know."

The younger woman got up to her feet and stretched her back. "You are very talkative."

Maura still didn't look at her daughter. "It would be very rude to disturb your conversation with your son."

Maura's clinical tone didn't pass Liz unnoticed and the brunette took a deep breath. "You are mad at me."

The statement made Maura look up and she patted the empty spot next to her. "Sit with me."

Liz hesitated and worried her bottom lip before she did as her mother asked and sat down next to Maura. A light frown was on her forehead.

Maura studied her daughter for a moment and wanted to tuck a strand behind Liz's ear, she lifted her hand, paused and gave the need in. She ran her hand over Liz' shoulder when her daughter closed her eyes instead of pulling back. "Yes, I am mad. I am mad because your mother and I taught you better."

Liz leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees, frowning deeply. "I was just trying to protect you."

"By facing this whole mess on your own? By getting yourself killed? Do you know what your death would have done to your mother and me?" Maura paused and watched Liz closing her eyes. "You knew that Ben and William flocked together and yet you wanted to solve the problem all by yourself instead of confiding to your family the moment you got to know about it. You are getting killed doesn't solve the problem, Elizabeth."

Liz didn't turn her head to Maura but exhaled shakily. "I wish it would be that easy, Mom. Me getting killed to keep all of you safe, it would be a small sacrifice only to know that they leave you guys alone once and for all."

"Deep down you know that neither of them would have stopped after they got rid of you," Maura replied, and her daughter looked at her with furrowed brows. She knew that this wasn't a sign of confusion but a sign of certainty.

Liz looked long and determined at the older woman. "I would go through hell and high water for each of you, no matter what."

Maura sighed heavily and nodded slowly. She always thought that Liz looked like the younger vision of her wife, and she knew that she was as stubborn as Jane as well, and that probably would only get worse instead of better. Jane as the one who taught their daughter what family ties meant for the Rizzoli's. That it meant do or die. She sometimes hated for that attitude, and now even more because their daughter estimated this attitude for herself. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I know, honey. I know that very well because you are like your mother. You would sacrifice yourself for the greater good, just like …" she paused and licked her lips. "Your Ma understand it, and I understand it somehow, but what about the little boy you just talked with? Zane won't understand why you had to die to keep him safe, and he will be mad at you, maybe for the rest of his life because of you … had no real part in his life. Right now, he thinks he knows you because … he's still a … baby. But in the next five years, he's understanding that you had … no bigger part in his life and that you rather die instead of watching him growing up, or reached out to him, that all of the stories about you are just stories and no memories." She paused and smiled a little. "I can still remember how happy you were the evening when you told us that you are pregnant."

Liz scoffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I wasn't happy, I was scared of Ma. She looked at Adam like she was about to strangle him in the first place. And that you and I had to tell her that it always takes two to become pregnant."

Maura smiled broadly and skidded a little closer to the brunette. "Yes, that was scary, but then you and she agreed that the two of you would choose the interior fittings of the nursery."

"Ma decided that my child become a Red Sox fan, no matter the gender."

"And Adam had no say in it."

"Like he'd disagree."

Maura laughed heartily and caressed involuntarily the cheek of Liz with her thumb. "Neither did you."

Liz laughed out loud, and the older woman smiled broadly. She wiped a tear off her cheek and glanced at the blonde. "Do you have an idea how hard it is for a Red Soy and Patriots fan in San Diego?" She saw how Maura looked expectantly at her and chuckled with a shake of her head. "Okay, that's a question for my other mother."

Maura laughed and gave Liz a playful shove. "I've been to games of those teams."

"Yeah, because Ma forced you to after you forced her to attend some art exhibition."

"Are you telling me that you never enjoyed spending time with me at an art museum?"

Liz straightened up and raised her hands with a big grin. "Oh, I totally did because I am open-minded, you never had to force me. Ma on the other hand -" She squinted at the ceiling and smirked.

Maura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You are impossible."

"Thank you." The younger woman laughed, the earnest forgotten already.

Maura, on the other hand, became serious again and couldn't resist the urge the need to run her hand up her daughter's back like she still couldn't believe that she was indeed with Liz and that Liz was still warm and breathing.

Liz noticed the gesture and leaned against the blond, placing her head on Maura's shoulder like in old days, when she was still a teenager. "I'm sorry for putting you through all of this. I know that I can never make it up to you."

Maura crossed her legs and took a deep breath. "Stay alive, I would be very happy with that."

Liz smiled and closed her eyes to enjoy the little peace that the moment gave her, but her eyes snapped open as soon as the door to her room got opened loudly and she frowned as soon as she looked into Adam's dead serious face. "What's wrong?"

"Get up." He commanded without looking at the blonde.

The brunette didn't waste time and did as she was told, looking like she was searching for something. "Okay, but what's the matter."

He looked at her and blinked a couple of times before he stepped into her personal space, took her face in his hands and didn't gave her the chance to protest. He kissed her long and gentle.

Liz needed a second to react but then she wrapped her arms around him. "My mom," she whispered with closed eyes after he pulled away.

"It's not like she has never seen us kissing." He replied and still didn't pay attention to Maura. "And I wouldn't care if she'd mind because I -" He took a deep breath and furrowed his brows. "Because I won't take off my damn wedding ring."

Maura smiled broadly and opened her magazine again.

Liz didn't step back but looked up at him. "Can you do me a favor?"

He tugged his head back and furled his brows. "Another one."

This time Maura was the one who said warningly, "Adam."

Liz turned her attention back to her mom. "No, he's right."

Adam ran his hands down her arms. "What do you want me to do?"

Liz looked long at her and understood that he really was willed to do everything for her even though if it would cost his life and she felt … bad and that she also would die for him, and she kissed him again before she wrote something down on a sheet. "This is the address of my apartment. Could you … get my damn wedding band? It's in the top drawer of the right nightstand."

Adam opened his mouth, but Maura was faster and asked, "You have an apartment here, in San Diego?"

Liz furrowed her brows when she looked at the other woman. "I lived the last couple of years here, of course, I do have an apartment."

"Why didn't you mention it?"

"You didn't ask, and this place is so much nicer than my shabby apartment."

Adam scoffed, and Maura rolled annoyed her eyes.

"I can get your damn wedding band, Liz." He laughed, and Liz grinned in return.

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Jane opened the drawer of the sideboard that stood at a wall in Liz apartment and grumbled, "The hotel's a nicer place, my ass." It was a three-room apartment, meticulously furnished and kept clean, the older Italian suspected that her daughter cleaned the apartment at least two or three times a week. The apartment was modern and stylish yet lacked a personal touch. As if Liz didn't care if she had to flee the apartment and never return here. On the walls hung occasional landscape photographs, and pictures of local sights, but no pictures of her or of people who were close to her. As if she would avoid as far as possible that her invisible opponents got a visual target, and that thought filled Jane with sadness.

"You know that we are not here to rifle through Liz' stuff, right?" Adam stated but hardly moved away from the entrance door.

Jane furrowed her brows and looked at him, closing the drawer again. "And you know that I am actually retired and yet I am a working a case to clean my daughter's name, just like my wife." She frowned and blinked a couple of times. "Tell me again, why we are here?"

He rolled his eyes and started to move. "To get something Liz asked for."

"Like a good idea how to bring down Hanley and Payton?"

The blond man glared at her the moment she mentioned the names and clenched his fists. "No."

"Don't tell me that you're not mad at her."

"I don't have enough time to be mad at anything right now, Jane. I just want to get this done and that -"

Jane nodded slowly. "You're still hoping that Liz is coming back, aren't you?"

Adam opened carefully a door that probably led to the bedroom and stuck his head inside the room as if he wanted to make sure that there wasn't any kind of surprise in it. He exhaled loudly when he found the bedroom empty. "Aren't you?"

The brunette started to look through the drawers of the desk and huffed. "I learned the hard way that my daughter is too complicated. So, I stopped to keep my hopes high when she didn't show up after two years."

"That's why you kept looking out for her?"

"I'm her mother, it's my job to look out for her, no matter where she is."

"She's my wife, it's my job, too."

Jane straightened up at his words and turned in his direction. "Are you sure that she's still your wife?"

"I never signed divorce papers," he answered but clenched his jaw.

"And even if she'd have asked for a divorce, would you have signed them?"

He looked long at her and disappeared in the bedroom without an answer.

I take that as a no, the former detective thought to herself and took a manila folder out of the bottom drawer. "Let's see what we got here." She mumbled and sat down on the desk chair.

Adam closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. Jane's question made him angry and at the same time, it saddened him because he knew that the answer to her question was no. Even though he'd received divorce papers, he wouldn't have signed them, he knew that he didn't have the heart to do so. He shut his eyes for a brief moment and then he took a look around in the bedroom. It hardly looked like a room regularly used by Liz, it was cold and impersonal, as was the rest of the apartment. It more felt like a show flat to him, a place you didn't want to spend time in but would if you had to. He sat down on the mattress of the neatly made king-size bed and wondered with how many men she had shared it. He pushed the thought to the side and opened the top drawer of the nightstand that stood left to the bed. He held his breath the second he laid eyes on the framed picture in the drawer that showed Liz and him on their wedding day and the little black velvet box that was beyond worn. He took it out of the drawer and placed it on the nightstand before he took the photo out of it as well. It showed them happy-go-lucky like nothing in this world could ever change that, at least someone could think so because they were beaming at the wedding photographer that moment. He held the picture tightly in his hands and recalled the memory of the wedding, how he almost freaked out because of Leslie's expression when she came out of the brunette's dressing room and the thought that Liz was going to cancel the whole thing, how it took his breath away the moment he saw walking her down the aisle and that his brain stopped to work during the entire ceremony because he was staring at her like no one else in the world would exist. He ran his thumb over her carefree face and his heart became heavy.

"She still loves you," Jane said from the door and he jumped, putting the picture back in the drawer and closing it. He got up from the bed and stuffed the black box into the pocket of his jeans, clearing his throat before he turned to the older woman. "I'm not so sure of that." He thought back at the previous noon and that Liz appeared absentminded when they were together in the shower like he was some kind of relief for her.

Jane looked sympathetically at him but shrugged. "I know it, I can see it in her eyes every time she looks at you. And I don't have to mention that I know that you still love her. I know that she's the love of your life, otherwise, you wouldn't still wear your wedding ring … or be here right now."

Adam clenched his jaw and looked down at his feet for a moment, then he thrust his chin at Jane after he regained his composure. "What do you get there," he asked and cleared his throat.

Jane took a moment and licked her lips. "Some notes that could be interesting and photo albums you were missing since Liz left." She paused for a second. "It's okay to cry, even for a man."

He nodded slowly and got the framed picture out of the drawer again and heaved a sigh. He knew exactly which photo albums meant, the ones that held the memory of Liz pregnancy, those after she gave birth to Zane and those before she left their lives. He placed his hand on the pocket of his jeans and ran a hand over his beard. "I think we're good to go."

"What's in your pocket?"

"The reason why we're here."

"Okay," she whispered and turned to leave, knowing not to ask any further questions unless he was willed to talk to her.

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Maura stepped onto the balcony and watched her daughter who looked absentmindedly into the distance. "Adam was suffering, is still suffering."

The younger woman blinked a couple of times. "I'm sorry?"

"When he found out that you left him Adam was devastated, he was hurt and couldn't trust any women anymore because he … couldn't understand what happened, and why you left without a note." She paused and frowned, also looking into the distance. "Do you think it's fair to use him now?"

Finally, Liz looked at her and frowned deeply. "I am not using Adam."

Maura took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "You might fool Ma, but I know that you have been with Adam, sexually."

Liz inhaled shakily and pressed her lips together. She was aware of the fact that she could fool neither Maura nor Jane, but it never crossed her mind that her parents would think that she'd use Adam in any way, or that even he would think so. But now, when she looked at the situation, she felt like an idiot. She was glad that she wasn't like Jane when it came to the topic of sex and tried to change the topic dowdily. "Not that it would be your business, because he and I are adults, and no one got forced, but yes, we have been together."

"Did it mean anything for you or was it just sex?"

"Mom!" The younger woman said louder and walked back into the hotel room. "It is none of your business."

"You are my business, and Adam is too. Just like Zane."

Liz' eyes grew huge. She hadn't been thinking about her son when she asked Adam to join her under the shower. And didn't think about it if she'd leave his life again. She knew that a small boy like Zane wouldn't understand why she could not be around him day and night and that he would hate her when he got older. It didn't even cross her mind that her husband could reach the point to hate her. The thought hurt her like a dull knife that was dragged into her heart. The numbing feeling of the night when Winters called her and told her that there was a bounty on her head and on those who meant the world to her and that it would be better for each of them if she got away from them as far as possible came back. The feeling that she couldn't breathe while she made the decision to kiss her sleeping husband goodbye for one last time with silent tears before she left him behind. The feeling when she watched Zane in his bed before she left him, too. For the greater good. The greater good. What is the greater good, she asked herself and closed her eyes. "I'm not using Adam, Mom. I -" she stopped and frowned. "I never stopped to love him. That's why I couldn't be with another man, in a long term."

"But you've been with other men."

"Those guys I've been using. I am not proud of it and maybe I am a big disappointment for you, but it's true. You taught me to be honest when it comes to feelings. I could never … I could never use Adam because … Even if I'd try, I can't stop to have feelings for him, to give myself to him." The brunette paused and swallowed down her tears, turning to face her mother. "I died, Mom. The night Eddie gave me the call and told me that I was busted, a part of me died the second I walked out of my house and left my husband and my son behind. I left my happiness behind the moment the front door closed behind me and I got into my car. I died because I thought that night Adam and I had been together and -" she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "One moment we loved us and the next I had to break Adam's heart, my own heart. I knew I had to because I wouldn't survive it when something'd have happened to Adam and Zane. Or you and Ma. If something would've happened to you, I wouldn't have had any reason to keep on living. And that's why I left because you would be even more disappointed of me if I'd take my own life. And I was close to it, Mom. I was so close to commit suicide that it scared myself. You don't know how many times I was sitting in my living room and thought about swallowing my gun because I knew that I hurt you, and Ma, and Adam. Not only because I hurt you, but also because I was lonely. I had no friends in San Diego, and those of whom I thought would be my friends, turned their back on me after they saw me together with Eddie, having a coffee. And after the incident at the pub. My colleagues had the opinion that I was overreacting and destroyed promising careers, Ruiz included. After the attack, I really thought about going back to Boston and leaving everything that happened in San Diego behind me. I started to get my things packed while I -" The younger woman closed her eyes and walked back into the room, Maura followed her. "While I got wasted. The next day, I got back to my senses and stayed anyway, even though I had no one in San Diego."

"Now you are not alone anymore." A deep voice stated, and she whirled around to look into her husband's serious face and pressed her lips together. "Now you have them, all of them. Even Chaz and Leslie."

Adam cleared his throat and placed the framed wedding picture on the small table, getting the little black box out of his pocket. He opened the lid of it and stared at the wedding band he knew by heart, turning the corners of his mouth downward. He took a deep breath and looked at the younger woman. "And you have me." He said and she closed her eyes and ignored the tear that ran down her cheek.

Jane was the one who cleared her throat now and glanced at her wife. "I … think we should give you some space."

Maura looked surprised at the Italian and started to move when Jane's eyes grew big. "Yes, we give you some privacy."

Adam didn't move until he heard the door open and close again. He took the ring from its box and slipped it back on Liz' finger with a little hesitation, pulling her into a hug. "You always had me." He mumbled into her hair and held her close.

Liz didn't need to think twice and wrapped her arms around him. Her heart was beating wildly and held onto him like he was her lifeline. Another tear ran down her cheek and she closed her eyes, inhaling his scent.

"There is no way that you'll get rid of me, no matter what you are doing."

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She took a deep breath. Now she only had his scent in mind. And all her doubts seemed to have vanished. She felt like the first time. You can do it.

You can do it, man, he thought, craning his chin and walking over to the bed. He had already gotten over Liz for one night, feeling her body at his side without touching her too indecently - and survived. He would do it a second time. In a few hours, he was able to wake her up for breakfast. Yeah, he could do that. And in a couple of weeks, she'd maybe trust him enough - Maybe …. Yeah, maybe. This uncertainty …

He got into bed next to her and Liz pressed herself against him instantly. She's naked, Adam! Each of his brain cells gave up their function. She kissed him on the chin. "Liz, what are you doing?"

"I leave the past behind me." Her voice was seductive but calm and firm. Calm ... The opposite of him. He put his arm around her, his fingers brushing her bare shoulders. Involuntarily, he began stroking her soft, supple skin. "The past?" He repeated thoughtfully.

"Yes, the past is over. And this night isn't all that bad. Besides, I don't feel helpless or vulnerable …. I only feel you. And I want to be with you."

"Liz -" HE and she was looking for the right words. He had to say something at this moment, or at least do something. He wanted to take his time, to take it slow after what had happened in the shower, so give her time after what had happened in the shower. But then she pressed herself closer to him, so he could feel her bare breasts and suddenly the last bit of reason had disappeared, and the gentleman within him had made his escape. Groaning, he stroked her back and enjoyed her silky skin, before he pulled her onto him and moved his hands to her bare bottom.

She hummed and pressed her lips to his, she tasted like toothpaste and Liz. He shivered as she parted her lips. Then he grabbed her at her hair gently and tucked her head back, kissing her neck. "Do you really want that," he asked against her skin and at the same time the voice in his head yelled at him, Are you crazy? Of course, she wants this. She's naked as a jaybird on top of you. She wants this!

No, he was not crazy at all, but close to despair. And if Liz would change her mind again, he would probably go completely crazy.

"Oh, yeah … " she breathed and bit her bottom lip. "For a long time, I hadn't felt this way."

He sat up and kissed her bare shoulder, turning the light of the nightstand lamp on. "I want to see you. I have to -"

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Liz could see it in his eyes, I have to make sure that this is happening, that you are real. That you are here with me. That this isn't another dream.

He moved forward and laid her back down on the mattress to see her face, not to mention the spark in her eyes. Her cheeks were a little pink and she looked shyly away but Adam sure as hell wouldn't stop looking at her. "Jesus, you are beautiful." He suddenly whispered.

"I am not."

He kissed gently her right nipple. "I am the one who's looking at you right now and I think that you are beautiful." He smiled when she started to blush as she had never heard saying that to her. "Absolutely breathtaking."

And the way Adam was looking at her, Liz believed it. She swallowed down the lump in her throat. She smiled uncertainly at him. "With you, I feel beautiful."

He looked passionately at her, and in his fascinating blue eyes was burning a fire. "You are beautiful … and you are mine again." He put a hand on her knee and slowly stroked her leg up to the hip, then up to the waist and along her side, until he finally gently cupped one of her breasts with his hand.

Liz' breath hitched when he sucked her nipple into his mouth, licking and releasing it,

She grabbed his neck and pulled him closer, arching her back and releasing her breath shakily. This wasn't just a relief, this wasn't just sex, it was reconnecting again. And was a long time ago she felt this way, the last time it was with the man she shared a bed right now. Adam changed her, he booted her. With every single word, with every single small smile. But this …

He let his mouth wander over her belly and she inhaled sharply, burying her fingers into his hair. "Adam -"

"Ssh."

Her eyes grew huge when he went further down on her and stopped between her thighs. She wanted to close them immediately, but she couldn't with his broad shoulders between her legs. She squirmed. "Adam -"

He looked up at her. "Yes?"

"I -" But the embarrassment paralyzed her tongue. How on earth was she supposed to tell him ... He lowered his head and rubbed his nose against her thigh. And when she raised her pelvis in response, he took the opportunity to slip his hands under her bottom.

"I don't think -"

"Liz, do us both a favor …" He rasped and kissed her belly. "and stop thinking." Then he kissed her inner thigh to make sure that she really would stop thinking.

She caught her breath the moment he started to lick her, to run his tongue over her clit and she dug her nails into the sheets of the hotel bed. He did it a second time, and a third and started to suck carefully. Liz felt like she was about to explore and moaned loudly. And her orgasm ran through her unexpectedly, it finally broke over her and as she came, she felt his lips on her. Every time she started to calm down he touched her, nibbled at her sensitive skin, which made the whole thing endlessly. Quavering and breathless she calmed down again, she had no idea who long this took, and her head was buzzing. She stared at Adam, unable to move, her heart was jumping out of her chest. Every time she looked in his face a new wave of bliss ran through her and she bit her bottom lip.

He growled against her inner thigh, "Fuck, you're driving me crazy, Elizabeth." Then he pressed his lips to hers. He tasted different, he tasted like her and she moaned.

She was shaking, her whole body was trembling. He cupped her face with his hands the moment he pulled away and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. Too fast, too predatory … Keep calm … Adam looked into her sparkling brown eyes. "You okay?"

Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms around his neck and purred throatily.

That seductive sound made him shiver. Good god, she's really driving me crazy. With each of her smile. But this … He leaned upward and kissed her hungrily, almost desperate and then he lost the last bit of his self-composure. As long as he was able to think, he got himself out of her embrace. "Just a second." His eyes rolled in the back of his head the moment she dragged her nails over his neck. "Jesus," he breathed and stared at her and wondered if she always had this kind of bedroom eyes. "What the hell have you done to me and my life?" He whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You turned everything upside down. Everything, Liz."

Liz ran her finger along his mouth. "Likewise."

Adam smiled a little and turned her carefully onto her back, and she held her breath, and he noticed how the look in her eyes changed. Fear and panic were mirrored in them now. "We can stop. You just have to say it."

Stop?

No, stopping was no option right now. For one, because she would go crazy with desire when they stopped now-and this time, for real. And second, because she didn't know if she would ever regain the courage to try it again. She was so scared, even if she desired him so much. But then she gathered her courage, put her arms around his neck, kissed him, and snuggled close to him. She was unable to do more. In no case would she express her feelings in words. She just couldn't.

Adam stroked her cheek, straightened and kissed her on the chin, cheek, eyelids before kneeling between her splayed thighs and took off his shorts, though Liz didn't take her eyes off his face.

Once again, the air was gone from her lungs. Breathe, breathe, breathe ...

How was she supposed to sleep with him when she got a panic attack? She tried to suppress this thought and instead focus only on Adam, looked at him spellbound. Truth be told, by now she was glad he had turned on the light. In the soft glow of the bedside lamp, she saw his shapely, slender body, and if she had not become wax in his extremely talented hands anyway, that sight would surely have had the same effect. Involuntarily, Liz looked down - but then jerked her head up again when she noticed it.

Geez … Geez … Geez …

She gasped and swallowed hard, but this time she couldn't regain control again.

But then Adam was already over her, embraced Liz's face and kissed her hard and passionately ... almost roughly. "Everything okay."

Liz let out a shuddering sigh, and she groaned as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and began to breathe heavily. Little by little, she relaxed, feeling his entire body. Every detail.

He lifted his head and looked at her. "Still here?"

"Yes." She placed a hand on his neck. "I'm still here. Right with you."

"Nice … because I like you being here, with me." He linked his fingers with hers and pressed his body closer to hers. "Please stay with me …" Forever … Adam wanted to keep her with him forever. But for the time being, he was content to just watch her face as he entered her. He clenched his teeth and tried not to lose control. Liz stared at him with those dark eyes ... but in her eyes was not only lust but also ...

Slow ... just go slow, for God's sake ...

He raised her chin, gently turned her head to the side and buried his face in her neck, caressing her sweaty skin. "Talk to me, Liz," he whispered into her ear.

"Adam -" Liz paused and took a deep breath, and only the light touch of her breasts that was caused by it was enough to drive him crazy. Groaning, he stroked over her upper body, finally cupped a breast and ran his thumb over the nipple. Then he shifted his weight to the other arm and watched as the nipple grew hard.

Liz shuddered, and that shy, nervous smile returned to her lips.

He slipped deeper into her and was firmly grabbed by her. "Damn -" Adam cursed, moaning.

She got glassy eyes.

He buried his fingers in her hair and tugged her head gently back. "You are killing me, Liz."

She shivered and groaning, he slipped even deeper into her. Then he pulled back and started over, moving very slowly to challenge her. When he was finally filling Liz, there was only both of them, trembling, sweating, so that Adam was convinced they had lost each in other, completely lost.

She dug her nails in his back and moaned, "Adam -" and, before she could go any further, he pressed his lips to hers, forgetting that he had actually intended to take it easy and be gentle. His rhythm became increasingly faster and more hard. Liz adjusted to his movement, clinging to his shoulders with her fingernails and pressing herself against him.

When she finally came close to her climax, she seemed to grab him even more tightly, so that Adam had to gather all his strength to just penetrate her. "Jesus, Liz."

Although she stared at him, she had that a strange look. She moaned his name, passionately pushed her pelvis against him. "Please."

"Shhh." He gave her a kiss. But Liz bit his lower lip, gripped his hips and pulled him closer as she pressed herself against him. "Please, oh, please -"

Cursing, Adam let his hand wander down. As he rubbed her clit, Liz froze, made big eyes, and released a deep, throaty sound. She cramped, grabbing him so warm and tight. Adam could feel the contraction, shivers of sweet pain and lust chased through his body. Still, he tried to control himself as he entered her ... And then it finally happened - she came, shouting his name and sank trembling under him back onto the mattress. He felt her digging her nails into his arms and involuntarily thrust into her. She screamed. "Liz ...?"

"Please …!"

Adam leaned down and kissed her before he again increased the pace and thrust deep, deep, deep into her ... to get lost in her. No. He had been lost for years already.

Her heart was still beating wildly, and she was breathing so hard it was almost a wonder that she hadn't fainted. But she felt so alive from head to toe. A pleasant shudder passed through her as Adam straightened up, rubbed his cheek against hers and whispering her name. Liz turned her head to look at him.

Adam grabbed her hand and kissed Liz on the wrist. She winced as his lips brushed the scars. "I just wanted to make sure you are really here. That the whole thing is not a dream."

She chuckled - and was so surprised by herself that she clapped her hand over her mouth.

Smiling, Adam ran a hand through her hair. "You are beautiful." Then he quirked an eyebrow. "No back talk."

"When you're looking at me like that, I believe it." She replied and blushed a little.

He smiled broadly. "Then I won't stop looking at you." He stated and pulled her against him. "Never."

"And how are you supposed to catch the bad guys?"

He looked down at her and kissed her again. "I find a way, believe me."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys. Thank you for your reviews of the last chapter. I really was scared that it'd get me in trouble cuz it was graphical and not Jane and Maura. To be honest, it scared the shit out of me when I published me. I am also really happy that you like this story even though it's more about Adam Laverty and Elizabeth Rizzoli. I promise that there will be more of Jane and Maura, cross my heart.**

 **Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH.**

 **I hope you'll like this update as much as I enjoyed it writing. And as always, you're welcome to share your thoughts.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73.**

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Liz took a deep breath before she pushed the door to the Butchers Arms open and glared at the bartender as soon as he opened his mouth to say something but shut it again the moment he saw Adam following her. She quirked a brow at the reaction and walked in the direction of a booth in the back of the pub.

A young man with black hair and brown eyes looked up at her and groaned annoyed, "Oh, come on."

She tilted her head and smiled down at him. "Is that your way to welcome me, Steve?"

He took a swig from his beer bottle but didn't look at her. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk about Acosta and his cousin."

"And why are you coming to me with this?"

She didn't hesitate and sat down across from him, placing her elbows on the table and looking long at him. "Because I know that deep down you are not such a bad person than you pretend to be."

Chung huffed and ordered another beer for himself. "That doesn't get me my job back, does it?"

She looked long at him and pressed her lips together. "Probably not."

"Because of you, I lost everything I worked for." Chung hissed and leaned forward. "Because of you, my fiancée left me."

"Sorry, buddy," Adam said, and the other man glared at him. "but that was you and only you who got you in that situation. Liz was only doing her job."

Chung furled his brows. "And who the hell are you?"

"Adam Laverty, Boston PD."

Chung nodded slowly. "Danielson warned me about you."

Adam pursed his lips the second Liz looked at him. "And Liz told me that you are only Acosta's tag-along. That you actually wouldn't hurt a woman, and yet you did. You hit the door in Liz' head the night Acosta wanted to … rape her."

Liz closed her eyes for a moment but didn't interfere.

Chung leaned back and furrowed his brows. "And who are you? The bodyguard that came here with her in case she's wrong about me?"

Adam placed his hands on the table and linked them. "No, her husband who's ripping you a new one in case you look askant at her. And I stay true to my word."

Chung scoffed and emptied his bottle. "It's hard to believe that Liz found someone who gets married to her in a blink of an eye."

"Actually," she said, and Chung's eyes found hers. "Detective Laverty and I are married for almost ten years."

Adam nodded at her. "She's the mother of my son."

Something in Chung's eyes changed when he looked at the brunette. "You have a child," he asked, and she closed her eyes in a positive response without using words. "You never mentioned a son."

"Because I was trying to protect my family. Someone was threatening them. Still is, and I am sure that this person is William Hanley."

Chung was silent for a moment and sipped his new beer. "Hanley is a sick son of a bitch, just like Acosta, and a cop killer. But Acosta is worse, he thinks that he's above the law, that he is the law." He stopped and shook his head. "I had no idea what he had in mind the evening he … attacked you, Rizzoli."

"So why you'd helped him and hit the door in my head."

"I was … drunk and acting on instinct." He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. "He was mad at you because you were looking into his finances. The night before he invited to join us, he was sitting here and said that you'd need a pasting and that he'd be the one you get it from. I swear to God, I was not involved in his drug business."

She nodded slowly. "I know that, Steve. I know that you had nothing to do with his business."

Adam looked at her in surprise and frowned. Seriously? You know that Acosta is a drug lord but tell Chung that he's no member of his … What? Gang?

"And why did you check out my finances, too."

"Because you were close to Dan, his best friend."

"That doesn't mean that I am dirty, too."

"How did he got to know who Detective Rizzoli was the one who was checking his background," Adam finally asked and held Chung's gaze. "I asked for her support while she was still working in Boston."

Chung rolled the bottle between his hands and scoffed. "Ruiz told Acosta that Eddie Winters was about to check Acosta's connection to James Waterston and that she asked for the help of Detective Elizabeth Rizzoli, the new partner of Waterston. Acosta was in Boston that weekend to visit his cousin Will and told him about the internal investigation and that Rizzoli was helping her."

"Ruiz told Dan about my investigation?" Liz gasped.

"What do you think, Liz? Why did Waterston want to meet you the evening you arrived in Boston?"

Adam felt sick but kept a straight face. "What's Hanley's roll in all of this?"

"He's the head of all of this. Without Hanley, Acosta wouldn't embezzle drug money, or even run a drug ring. Hanley asked Dan for a new lawyer who could convict a jury that he was framed with the murders of the cops in Boston. Hanley still holds a grudge against Liz because she left him and because her mother arrested him, and Liz' boyfriend." Chung paused and glanced long at the blond man. "I guess that's you."

"You guessed right," Adam growled and clenched his jaw. "No jury in this world would find him innocent. The evidence is back-breaking."

Chung scoffed again. "Hanley also still have friends at BPD. You don't think that Acosta is that kind of criminal mastermind, do you? He wouldn't get the idea to hire Benjamin Payton, the ex-husband of the former Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth Massachusetts, who happened to be a former DA. Hanley knew how to get rid of Liz, at any cost. He knew that she would leave Boston when Payton indeed get him out of prison and that she'd be an unprotected game. Hanley wants her dead, literally. He hates her from the bottom of his heart for leaving him for another man. And he inculcated his hate for Liz in Dan." He paused and took a swig from the bottle. "And he's using Payton's hate for Dr. Isles. They have a lot in common, don't you think?"

Liz was chewing on the inside of her cheek and furrowed her brows. "But … my mom left Ben Payton long before I was born. Why is he bearing a grudge against me?"

Adam leaned back and ran a hand over his beard. "Because you remember him on Jane. Just by your look." He sighed heavily and glanced at the woman beside him. "Jane is the reason why your mom left him."

"Bingo!" Chung laughed and wiggled his brows.

"But it's not my fault that my mother fell out of love with him." Her eyes snapped up when Adam cleared his throat and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. I know, I know. Mom probably never really loved this guy, but Ma. That he probably was just a rebound guy who fell hard for Mom, but she couldn't return his feelings. I mean, Mom only once cheated … on him … with Ma! But I can't tell that Chung. "Who are Will's contacts in Boston."

Chung looked long at her and shrugged. "Rizzoli, I really don't know that. I only know that some of the cops in BPD think that your boyfriend, sorry, now husband, and mothers set him up because he started to strike them."

"That's some bullshit," Adam growled and furled his brows the moment the other two looked at him. "I wasn't in dire need of setting Hanley up to get rid of him."

Liz closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Steve, we stay in touch."

Chung nodded slowly and ordered another beer. "Sure."

Adam knocked the table with his knuckles and got up slowly. "Chin-chin."

Chung only smirked.

Liz followed her husband and frowned at him. "Really? Chin-chin?"

Adam smirked and shrugged. "Just getting up and leaving would have been rude."

She grinned but rolled her eyes while she made her way out of the pub. "A simple bye would have done it. Chin-chin, I can't believe that."

"I am no simple person."

"You are predictable. That's why my parents know that we are reconnecting again."

"Really," he asked with a high-pitched voice and scratched the back of his head. "I thought they knew because your parents' room is next to ours and you were screaming my name on top of your lungs last night while I was -"

Liz turned to him and thrust roughly her index finger into his chest, growling low, "Don't you dare finishing that sentence." Her face was serious, but her eyes smiled at the memory. "Don't."

"Adam, oh, please." Adam aped her with a high-pitched voice and grunted when he felt her elbow in his stomach.

She smirked. "I was thinking of someone else."

He rubbed his belly with a frown. "Really? How many men named Adam do you know?" He tugged his chin in as soon as he saw her smirk. "Don't answer that."

The brunette turned her head to him. "Okay."

"Seriously, how many men with the name Adam do you know," he asked and blinked a couple of times, then he shook his head. "No, don't answer that."

Liz stopped walking and turned to him, stepping into his personal space. "The only thing that matters is that you are the only Adam I truly care about. That's what you heard the very first time I slept with you, and what you heard last night."

Adam looked down at her but didn't move. "You love me." He said, and she started to walk again. "Say it, say, Adam, I love you."

"Don't push your luck." She laughed but didn't mind that he shoved his hand into the back pocket of her jeans. "Otherwise, I ask for a divorce."

"You mean like you planned to the last five years?" He held his hands up and laughed when she scowled at him. "Okay, I shut my mouth."

She shook her head, but a laugh escaped from her throat. Oh, how she missed this man and the bantering between them like the used to before they got married, pregnant and before she had to leave. Yes, I never stopped to love you. She wrapped her arm around his waist and took a deep breath. "Do you think we'd have survived if I'd stayed in Boston?" She saw his puzzled look. "I mean, our relationship."

He wiggled his brows and kissed the top of her head. He was surprised that she let that happen and that she actually wrapped her arm around his waist in the middle of the street. In the past, he got used to the fact that she wasn't a person who showed her affection in public and he kinda liked it because the less she showed it in front of other people, the more she showed it to him when they were alone. He stopped walking and turned her to him, pulling her close. He remembered that they had a fight the evening before she left for good. That was the reason why he went to bed before her and ignored the sounds of packing. He was thinking that she packed some things and stayed at her mothers' place until either of them cooled down again. He was mad because he knew that she was keeping something from him, even accused her to be unfaithful. Adam had no idea why that thought crossed his mind. Because she was working late and went into the home office instead of coming to bed with you. But then she was gone. He sighed heavily. "I know we had a rough time before you left. And that I said some things to you I shouldn't have. That I should have to trust you instead of accusing you of being unfaithful, and I wish I could take it back. Take back every single word I said to you the night before you left."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "You had every right to think I would cheat on you after the things I put you through before we got married."

"True." He agreed and took a deep breath. "I had some hard time since I know you." He lowered his head and kissed her gently. "But each of it was worth it." He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and frowned. "Do you regret that you got married to me?"

Liz tilted her head to the side and frowned a little as soon as she realized that he meant the question seriously, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Not for a single second, Adam." Because you are the love of my life.

He seemed to read her mind and nodded with a frown. "No more running from me."

She stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him. Glad that he didn't say the word out loud even though she was craving for them. "No more running from you. Big promise." She whispered against his lips and looked him straight in the eye. She was surprised that his look still made her heart jump and ran her fingers through his hair. "I missed you."

Adam could see that she wouldn't run from him again even though she was scared for him. And relief washed over him. "I … missed you, too."

She knew exactly what he was about to but then a deep frown appeared on his forehead. "You are only standing to me like that because that guy is following us."

Liz looked over his shoulder and recognized that the man who was following them was a patrol officer who graduated just last year and who was buddy-buddy with Acosta as well. She looked back at her husband and raised her eyebrows.

"Unbelievable," he laughed and gave her a peck. "You are impossible, that's why I love you."

Liz's smile dropped as soon as those words left his mouth, but she still looked into his eyes, only to see that he meant what he just said.

Adam's heart skipped a beat and he tightened his grip on her hips to make sure that she wouldn't get the chance to run from him. "I mean … I … uh … Well, that's why I do not dislike you. I … like you … Very much." He wanted to slap himself and made a face.

Liz had to smile and kissed him one more time. "I love you, too." She murmured and pulled away before he could get all cheesy.

He frowned but followed her lively. "Was that so hard? You know, you can say it out loud. You can yell to the world I love -" He trailed off when she glared at her and furled his brows. "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, lasagna, pizza with salami topping, bacon cheeseburgers … chili cheese fries."

Liz ignored him but laughed.

"Fish sticks, chicken wings. Is there something you don't like?"

"Shut up!"

"Shut up I never tried but it doesn't sound very tasty. Is that a local specialty? Waiter, bring me a portion of Shut up. Is that chicken, cow, pig?"

"Seriously, Adam?" She laughed and bit her lower lip.

"No, I never heard about the species Seriously Adam." He laughed when she glared at him.

She unlocked the rental with the key fob and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Get in the damn car."

Adam saluted and opened the passenger's door. "Get us to the hotel in one piece."

"Adam -"

"I know, somethings will never change. Like your driving skills."

"I swear to God -" she growled and got into the car, laughing.

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Jane was beyond pissed, and she couldn't suppress the growl. "Ruiz told Acosta that you were checking his background?"

Adam's face was serious as well and he opened a bottle of water. "That's what Chung told us while he got drunk. Ruiz is a part of this … conspiracy." He frowned when he saw the looks of Maura and Liz. "I don't have another name for that."

"Me neither," the former detective said and crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe revenge."

"For leaving two men," Maura asked and frowned.

Liz added, "One of them is mentally sick and responsible of cop murders."

"And Ben didn't take your divorce so easily as well."

"Jane, he's a DA."

"Even worse." The Italian replied and for up to her feet. "Ben knows how the system is working."

"He knows how to cast doubt," Adam added and chewed on his bottom lip, a habit he adopted from Liz. "And if his plan works put, Hanley is a free man. And we are the bad guys because we put him behind bars in first place. Who set him up."

"Which you didn't," Maura said louder and held her breath the moment Jane and Adam exchanged a look. "You didn't set him up, did you?"

Jane finally broke the eye contact and furrowed her brows. "Of course, we didn't. You should know that I liked Adam, but not that much that I'd set Hanley up just, so Laverty could marry our daughter. Hanley -" She trailed off and looked at her daughter. "I never had a good feeling about him."

Liz cleared her throat and looked at Adam, shoving her hands into the back pocket of her jeans. "I happened not to know the great and famous Adam Laverty the time I was in a relationship with a serial killer who knew how to handle a marksman's rifle. And for the record, I didn't know that he could handle that."

"Or as going to shoot any police officers after he chucked out on law enforcements ear after almost beating a man to death," Adam added and furled his brows the moment three women glared at him. "Don't look at me that I am the one who's breaking that news."

She took a deep breath and frowned of his statement. "No, Will did it himself the moment you guys brought him in and by yelling at me that those dead cops were on me. That really made my day."

"It's not your fault, Liz."

"Somehow it is. I should have known that something is wrong with William Hanley."

"How so?"

"He was a little … clingy."

"I am faithful, too."

Liz blinked a couple of times and cleared her throat. "You being faithful is something different."

"Because I am not going postal even though you left me," he asked and winced the moment she punched his shoulder at no notice. "What? It's true."

"But it's not funny at all." She hissed through clenched teeth and heaved a sigh. "It's scary, though."

"What?"

"That you haven't been with someone else all these years."

Adam shrugged and stepped closer, brushing lightly her shoulder with his arm. "I already told you that I didn't have time to even think about dating a woman."

"You sure that you are a male being?"

"And why are you asking that? Didn't I convince you about that the last night, and this morning, and -"

"Okay, you don't have to list it up, I was there, too." She cut him off with a deep blush what made him smirk.

Adam was silent for a moment and then he looked down at her. "If you were, why are you asking if I am indeed a man?"

Liz didn't answer right away and shrugged herself. "Everybody has needs, Adam."

He nodded and took his distance again. "True, but you should know that I am very capable to control them."

"For more than five years," she asked, and he clenched his jaw and looked anywhere but at her, and somehow, she knew what answer he was trying to avoid. She swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Oh."

Adam slowed his steps and furled his brows. "No matter what you're thinking right now, I'm sure it's wrong." He paused and took a deep breath. "Sure, I have been with a woman and it was nice, but I wasn't looking for something serious. She on the other hand -"

"It didn't end well."

He blinked a couple of times and smiled shortly at the memory. "Let's say that she was the equivalent to Hanley. Not as cuckoo as he is, but she gave me a hard time until I made her understand that I am not interested in a relationship with her. After that, her brother paid me a visit at home."

"Don't tell me that he beat you up there."

"He wanted to until he indeed understood that I was a cop. And the fact that I stood head and shoulders above him." He smirked when he heard a snort that came from the brunette.

"Many people are cowed by that fact." Liz chuckled and looked up at the blonde. "Well, the members of my family were not. I don't know why. Maybe because they are a little … crazy."

Jane was the one who cleared her throat now and the couple blinked at her. "You may want to discuss these things in private. In your own room?"

Adam pressed his lips together to hide his smile and looked down at his feet.

The younger brunette opened and closed her mouth again for a couple of times before she mumbled, "Sorry."

Maura smirked and placed a hand on her wife's shoulder so Jane would stop to glare at her daughter. "Are you planning on coming with us back to Boston?"

The former detective crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brows. "That is a very good question."

"It is." Adam agreed and took a sip from his water.

Liz started to chew on the inside of her cheek with a frown. "I'm going to talk to Will."

With that, the room became deadly quiet and Adam stepped automatically closer to her, his jaw set.

Jane blinked a couple of times and worry was mirrored in her eyes. "Liz -"

"Are you sure that it's such a good idea," Maura asked before the former detective got the chance to finish the sentence.

Liz hesitated and took a deep breath. "Sure? No, Mom, I am not sure, but I was for more than five years on the run. Now it's time to finish this so I can come back home and be with you for the rest of the time we have together."

"She makes it sound like we're about to die in a year or so," Jane stated, and a deep frown crawled upon her forehead. "We aren't going to die, are we?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch in their room. "I am not going to answer that."

Liz ran the fingers of her left hand over her eye, so she wouldn't roll them as well. "We can depart after I talked to Ruiz."

"No," Jane replied harshly and pointed at her daughter. "No, you're not going to talk to Ruiz. If you do so, who knows what kind of welcome we get. I do like very much being alive, I want to keep it that way."

Adam stepped into Liz' personal space and lowered his voice. "Jane is right, Liz. If you tell Ruiz that you know that he's involved, you give him the chance to warn Hanely's people in Boston. And we all know what those people capable to do."

Liz took a moment before she nodded approvingly, and Jane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She thought that it would take a hell of an effort to convince her daughter not to go to her former captain and to confront him with the things Liz got to know about him. Jane wondered if there was only one single cop at SDPD that wasn't dirty and worked for the man who made Liz' life a living hell and tried to frame her with a murder of another cop just because she had Adam chosen over him. She understood that Liz was beyond pissed, neither of them would get back the last years. Liz wouldn't get back the years she had missed with her very own family. She watched her daughter who let herself be pulled into a hug of Adam meekly and who clung to his shirt like it'd be the last time she got the chance to do so. She clenched her jaw when Liz closed her eyes, but the pain was still to see in her face. I'm going to kill Ben and Will for all they put her through, she thought to herself and flinched the second she felt a hand on her arm. She had noticed Maura standing next to her again and frowned when she looked into hazel eyes.

"Are you okay," Maura asked worriedly.

The Italian nodded slowly. "I will be." She paused and heaved a sigh, adding. "When this is over."

Maura looked in the same direction and a sigh slipped from her lips. She knew exactly what her wife was thinking at this moment and sadness was filling her heart. "You're not about to do something stupid, are you."

Jane looked in disbelief at her wife and furrowed her brows. "You should know me better."

Maura's eyes found Jane's again, and she frowned. "Yes, Jane. This is the reason why I'm asking."

The other woman smirked wryly and shook her head. "No, I'm not about to something stupid, Maura."

The former ME studied the brunette extensively and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes this time. Jane glanced at her and grinned.

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Adam rolled his eyes because it was the third attempt to get his sleepy son out of the bed that stood next to his godson Damian, but the little boy disagreed with a whine and with kicking around tossing the second Zane laid eyes on Liz, who was standing in the door frame. "Zane, this is not funny." He growled low and seemed to lose his patience at any moment.

The family took a flight back to Boston that afternoon and headed straight to the precinct to brief Frankie and Newman. Neither of them thought that it would them took so long and Adam had to call Leslie to tell her that it'd get late and even though the redhead had offered to keep Zane for another night, he thanked her and declined. Now he wished that he'd agreed and spent the time with Liz instead. The second the thought crossed his mind, he felt terrible.

Liz pushed off the door frame and entered Damian's room, who kept his parents on their toes downstairs and pushed the detective to the side. "You had your chance, Daddy. Let me."

Adam threw his hands up and stepped aside. "Good luck, you gonna need it."

She snorted and sat down on the edge of the small bed, looking long at her son who calmed down immediately.

Adam crossed his arms over his chest and quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Liz wanted to smirk at him but kept a straight face as she glanced at her son like they were having a silent conversation, telepathically. She took a deep breath and ran her hand carefully over his leg. "Don't you wanna go home," she asked and frowned a little when Zane's bottom lip started to quiver. "Are you going home if I tuck you in?"

Zane held her gaze but nodded carefully without answering her question.

"Okay," she whispered and scooped him up in her arms before she carefully got up to her feet. "We can do that, sweetheart." She looked at Adam, nodding in the direction of Zane's bag that held his stuff. "Would you get his things?"

Adam blinked a couple of times and did as she asked. "Yes, Ma'am."

Leslie was about to tell Damian something but turned her head as soon as she heard steps coming from the stairs and quirked an eyebrow when she saw Liz and Adam rounding the corner. "Are you coming back later," she asked the moment when she saw that Zane was in the arms of the brunette and Chaz turned his head.

Liz swallowed hard and glanced briefly at Adam. "Um -"

"Don't wait up for her." The detective replied and stepped closer to Liz, noticing the skeptical look of the redhead. "She'll be okay."

"Oh," Leslie commentated with a wry smile. "I bet she will."

Liz rolled her eyes and started to walk towards the front door. "You're impossible."

"I wanna hear about everything that happened in San Diego." Her friend replied and opened the door. "Every single detail."

Adam was the first who was out of the door and almost at his car, and the redhead raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, no, not gonna happen," Liz stated the second her friend opened her mouth and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Thanks for watching this little guy." She furled her brows and looked down at Zane. "Who's weighing a ton."

Zane seemed to protest with a heavy sigh and nestled his nose in the crook of her neck.

Leslie smiled broadly and ran a hand down his back. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"What's strange?"

"That he's so comfortable with you."

Liz looked down at him and a smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, it's strange. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for him for the last five years, neither of you."

"Don't run away again," Leslie replied and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "That's thanking us enough."

Liz smiled honestly at the redhead and nodded before she headed in the direction of Adam's car.

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Liz heaved a heavy sigh the second she entered the kitchen and made big eyes.

Adam chuckled and shoved a beer over the counter toward her and wiggled his brows when she smiled at him. "It'll get better … in one or two years."

She choked on her beer and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "He has a lot to catch up."

He straightened up and rounded carefully the kitchen counter. He was careful and clenched his jaw like she was about to step back. "Just like me." He placed a hand on her hip and pulled her a little closer. "You can't be in my house and expect me to keep my hands to myself."

Liz didn't flinch or even blink, but a small smile tugged on her lips. "No, I didn't expect that."

He looked her directly in the eyes and took a deep breath. "You are staying, right?"

"I had no other plans for tonight."

"I mean, you are staying, you are not going back to Leslie's house." He furled his brows when he saw the uncertainty in her brown eyes. "I … I can get your stuff tomorrow in the … morning before you are up. It … can't be that much."

Liz kept his glance and ran a hand over his shoulder with a heavy sigh. "Adam -"

"I know that you are going to say that it's way too soon you moving back in." Adam cut her off and swallowed hard the second her body relaxed. "But it's obvious that Zane needs you. He will throw fusses every time you're not around, and I … can't effort to show every day up bleary-eyed." He pulled her even closer and her eyes fluttered shut the moment he lowered his mouth to her ear. "And I have to admit that the nights in San Diego had been the best since years. And I don't mean it saucy, Liz. It means that I was able to sleep for real because I didn't have to worry if you are okay or even wonder if you're still alive. I actually came to rest when you were laying next to me, also the nights we didn't try to bring our relationship back into use like it once was. And to be honest, Leslie told me about your nightmares you had when you moved in with them. You didn't have any in San Diego, did you?"

She kept her eyes closed when he nestled his nose against her neck and bit her bottom lip, wrapping her arms around his body and holding him close. She had to admit that she liked having him around 24/7 and in the same time panic rose in her because of the thought that William Hanley was after her and didn't even stop when it came to cops. You're such an idiot, Liz. He didn't even stop there in the past, that's why he's in a super-max. And be true to yourself, you need this, you need your son, you need Adam. You've been on your own for the last couple of years. Isn't it the real reason why you stopped by in Boston? Meeting up with Chaz and then you'd have stopped down the street here and stared at the house once you called home. You would have hoped to catch a glimpse of Adam and it would have broken your heart when you turned the car and drove away without talking to him. And it would have killed you that you couldn't have seen your son. This absolutely amazing little boy who refused to go to sleep until you snuggled with him for thirty minutes until he fell asleep again. The little guy who doesn't know you the slightest bit but leaves you from the bottom of his heart. Now, stop argue with yourself and say yes.

It seemed like Adam could feel her inner struggle and turned his head to her ear, so he could whisper. "I know we're not in San Diego anymore, Elizabeth. I can set the guest room for you up if this makes it any easier for you. You don't have to make any commitments in Boston for now."

She searched his eyes when he pulled away a little and knew that he knew every single word he just said to her. He meant that he was willed to set the guest room up for her only to have her around for their son's sake, and maybe a little for his own sake. That she wouldn't have to make any commitments in Boston. She knew that he wasn't expecting anything because they were back in Boston and it broke her heart. "No," she whispered, and she literally heard his own heart break.

He blinked fast and frowned, obviously looking for the right words. "Um, okay. No, … you … you don't want me to set the guest room up or no, … you … you don't come back home because you still need some space to get ad … adjusted to some things?"

The brunette held him in place the moment he wanted to step back and frowned lightly. "No, I don't need you to set the guest room up for me." She answered and wiggled her brows the moment when he dawned to Adam that she didn't say no to coming back home. Then she kissed him, hard.

Adam needed another second before he lifted her off her feet with ease and onto the counter, not caring that there was a small child upstairs that moment

"Wait, wait, wait." Liz hushed with a smile on her lips when she looked into his eyes but tugging his shirt out of his jeans. "There is a little boy up the stairs. We'd had to pay for therapy for the rest of his life if he'd walk in on us."

Adam pondered his words which were gone again the moment she ran her hands underneath his shirt, biting her bottom lip with a seductive smile. He still stood between her legs and braced himself on her thighs. "Yeah, he'd be traumatized for the rest of his life because my bed hadn't been in use in that meaning for quite some time." He regretted his words immediately when Liz opened her mouth, he silenced her with another kiss and shook his head. "No. No questions about that right now, no thinking about it because that would be a run off. And that would be … that would be … that would be the end of me."

She wiggled her brows again, with a knowing smile. "I know. No more talking or talking."

"Agree," he replied and lifted her off the counter again, and Liz suppressed a surprised squeal. "Sssh," he chuckled and stumbled the second she pressed her lips to his, passionately.

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Adam tried to move and furled his brows as soon as he realized that he was laying on the edge of the mattress and that he wasn't alone in the room anymore. And then he realized with whom he spent the last night and his eyes shot open, his heart speeding up. In the same moment, he was beyond glad that he demanded on getting at least a little dressed because he knew his son and his abilities to sneak into the bedroom in the middle of the night only to be brought back into his bed after falling back to sleep. He tried to turn onto his right sight only to be greeted by a pair of brown eyes and a smile he still knew by heart. He looked in between of him and Liz only to find a sleeping Zane snuggled up against her chest. "When did he slip in here?"

"An hour ago," Liz whispered back, and her smile grew bigger when Adam started to caress her cheek. "He wondered what I am doing in here, but then he stated that the guest room is stuffed full of things and that I needed to sleep somewhere."

Now Adam ran his hand through his son's hair and sighed. "He's a smart kid." He paused for a moment. "I told you that it'd be wise to get dressed."

"He is," she whispered back and furrowed her brows. "Do you wanna tell me about the stuffed guest room?"

"Nope." Adam replied with a groan and stretched his arms over his head, turning onto his back without waking Zane."

"Adam!"

"That's my name. You said it plenty of times last night." He laughed lightly and pointed down at the moving boy between them when he noticed that Liz was about to slap his bare chest.

Liz looked at her son and a small sigh escaped from her lips. "Zane used to do that a lot when he was still a baby."

"Moving?"

"Snuggling into my chest."

"Yeah, he tried it with mine a couple of times, but it seemed like he noticed that I don't have your … boobs." He stifled a laugh when he caught her warning glare. "What? It's true. After half a year he stopped snuggling into my chest but used it as his mattress, included the drooling on me."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Sometimes you are such an idiot."

"An idiot that you love."

"You can't choose the one you love."

"You know that this actually makes no sense, right?" He replied, and she smiled broadly at him. He, on the other hand, turned serious again. "What are your plans for today?"

Liz took a deep breath but didn't move. "First of all, we should get this little guy some breakfast after he woke up, then I should get back to Leslie's and have a shower and some fresh clothes. And then -"

"You could take a shower right here." Adam suddenly said when she trailed off.

"Then I'd smell like you because my body wash and shampoo are at Leslie's."

"What's wrong with my smell? I always thought you like my smell." He raised his brows high and smirked. "Oh, it'd distract you." He chuckled low when she rolled her eyes. "You're thinking about paying Hanley a visit, aren't you?"

"I want to get this done, Adam." She replied and ran a hand through Zane's hair who was stirring. "I want my life back, Adam. I am so sick and tired of this hide-and-seek. I know that he wants me dead, and somehow, he killed me by taking away from me everything I love dearly, and I let him. Now it's time to show him that I won't go down so easily and not without a fight."

Adam let the words sink in and nodded slowly. "Do you think you can spare some time before you go and see him?"

She watched her son cracking one eye open and yawning against her chest. "I guess Will can wait another day."

The little boy suddenly looked with a frown at both of his parents.

"What's the matter, buddy," Adam asked and prepared himself for a fuss because he wasn't the only person in this bed.

"Hungry." Zane answered uncommunicatively and furrowed his brows as soon as Liz chuckled.

Adam swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and heaved himself out of the bed like he did every morning when Zane woke him like this. "Then let's get you some Cheerios before you're starving to death, or me facing a boy who's throwing a tantrum until his grandmas arrive.

Liz didn't get the chance to react so fast was Zane out of the bed and 2 in the hallway. She leaned onto her elbow and glanced at the detective reproachfully. "Seriously? Cheerios?"

He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "What can I say? I just came back from San Diego, I didn't have the time to go to the grocery and get -" He trailed off and squinted up at the ceiling. "Healthy stuff like -" He made a face and shuddered. "Kale."

Liz didn't need to think twice and threw to his head. "I never had kale for breakfast."

"Or wild berries." He shot back and threw the pillow back to her. "Fancy Greek yogurt or pineapple."

She rolled her eyes and dropped the topic. "Why did you ask me if I can spare time?"

He smiled mischievously at her. "You'll see."

"I am not in the mood for having spare ribs for lunch." She said louder, and he raised his hand, rounding the corner.

"You'll see, Elizabeth. And you'll like it. It's about time to get you back on track, Elizabeth."

"Are you keep calling me that?"

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but just because I didn't have a say in it."

"Well, lucky me."

"What does that suppose to mean?" She listened carefully and scoffed when she only heard Adam starting to whistle.

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Adam looked long at her and took a deep breath. "For how long you haven't used one of these things?"

Liz didn't look at him and pressed her lips together before she answered, "To be honest, the last time was shortly before I came back to Boston."

He furled his brows and cleared his throat. "That's almost six months ago."

"You can't forget how to do this, right?"

Adam stood close behind her and licked his lips, frowning a little. "Well, this … this is a little more complicated than biking or riding a horse. At least you remember how to stand right for this."

Liz' shoulders slumped, and she looked over her shoulder. "I haven't practiced for some time, Adam, I'm not having Alzheimer."

"You sure because you forgot … you forgot how to make a call. And someone hit the back of your head hard with probably a two-by-four, you could have significant brain damage."

The brunette furled her brows. "That is almost six months ago, we'd know if I'd have brain damage by now. When exactly did you start stammering?"

Adam cleared his throat and ran his hands over her shoulders. "Standing so close to you is making me nervous."

"And you are the one who is concerned?"

He released his breath which he was holding and nodded once. "You're right, you were always the one who could handle this better than anyone else." He paused and ran his hand over his beard. "Are you thinking about coming back when all of this is over?"

"I am not planning to leave Boston again."

"No, I mean … um … coming back to BPD."

Liz frowned and turned around to him. "Could you trust someone who asked for a new partner out of the blue and then left in the middle of the night without a note or explanation only to turn up as a murder suspect years later?"

Adam didn't need to think twice and nodded. "Absolutely, yeah. I mean, you thought you had no other choice, Liz. You didn't leave because you are a lousy cop and I would partner up with you in a blink of an eye because I trust you, cuz I know you have my back, and I have yours. I don't care what others would think of you returning to BPD, and there are a bunch of people who are still missing you and your big mouth. Frankie, for example."

"Yeah, but he's family."

"Trent Newman, Chaz, Leslie, Sammy, Michael, Henry."

"Okay, okay." The brunette laughed and turned her back to him again. "I got it, you just making it up."

"I would never, you made quite a dent ever since you started as a uniformed at BPD, Liz." He stated and took a deep breath.

"I actually thought about coming back to BPD, back in San Diego when everything got out of control. But then I thought that you guys wouldn't want me back there and I was already alone there, I didn't need that in Boston, too."

"And now you know that you won't be alone?"

"I don't know, Adam. It's already hard enough to that one parent is working for the law enforcement."

"You are a cop through and through."

"So are you."

"I wouldn't mind being a stay-at-home dad for some time."

Liz' eyes went huge and she turned to him again, looking dumbfounded at him. "I could never ask that of you, you love your job as much as I … do. And you already had to be a single dad because of me. How should I live with myself if I ask even more of you?"

Adam looked long at her and blinked a couple of times glancing over her head then. "um, okay, let's fight about that later over a beer. Now, let's just focus on -" He trailed off, stepped behind her again, took her hands in his and raised them.

She rolled her eyes and growled through clenched teeth. "If you won't stop that, I'll point the frigging gun at you instead of the target."

He released her hands and raised his high, stepping back.

Liz was beyond surprised when he texted her after lunch to meet him in front of BPD and was even more surprised when he led them to the shooting range. She had noticed that not much had changed since the say she left the building in pretense that she'd be back the next day even though she'd get home and away when everyone would be fast asleep. She was also surprised that some of her former colleagues greeted her with a real smile after they stared at her like she'd be a walking dead, other huffed and turned their back to her which didn't hurt as much as she thought. She asked the detective a couple of times if she's supposedly on the shooting range until Adam told her to shut up and handed her a gun. She had to swallow hard the first moment and weighed it before she checked the clip and cocked the gun. She licked her lips and inhaled deeply before she pointed the gun at the target and pulled the triggered for the first time after almost six months. She worried her bottom lip and tilted her head, not looking so sure about the outcome.

Adam tilted his head as well and furled his brows skeptically. "Well, at least you made sure that this guy doesn't beget any offspring. That's better than nothing." He pressed his lips together, but the smile was still visible.

Liz clenched her jaw and turned her attention back at the target, pointing the gun at it, too. Then she emptied the clip with anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. She waited a second and then a proud smile appeared on her lips when she realized that she hit the target in the center.

He clapped impressed his hands and stepped closer to her. "Well, look at that. Now you made sure that your pretty face was the last thing this son of a bitch has seen. But I doubt that he perceived your face as pretty the moment he got shot by you."

Liz turned to him and smiled broadly at him. "You think I have a pretty face?"

The detective blinked several times and furrowed his brows. "Seriously? You just shot a guy in the balls and then killed him and all you can think of is if I think you have a pretty face? That's creepy."

Liz laughed heartily and shrugged. "I killed someone purely hypothetical. I'm sure his paper friends are going to forgive me. In real life, I thought nothing the moment I had to pull the trigger. Nothing but that it was done or die. And I had a partner I had to watch out for. You look familiar to him, but he had a less hairy face than you have."

"You like my beard."

She chuckled in response.

"How does it feel? Being back."

Liz sighed in relief and leaned with her back against his chest. "I can get used to this feeling. It feels like I'm back in control. That I become my old self." She looked at him and smiled broadly. "Thanks for bringing me here, Adam."

Adam nodded more to himself but didn't touch her. "It's my part to watch out for my partner. And it's not that unselfishly than you might think." He shrugged when she glanced up at him. "Don't get me wrong, Newman is great. But he's … Newman.

"Calm reasoned -"

"He reminds me of my father. It isn't so much fun to prank him. Every time I wanted to play a prank on him I got a queasy conscience and told him about it."

"So, it's more fun to fool me?"

"Yes, because then I knew that we would end up in the bedroom, you spanking me." He furled his brows the moment his wife did his same. "Not … literally. The spanking part. I guess I started stammering because I said things like that to him."

"You did not." Liz laughed out loud and turned to him but stepped a little back. She realized that he meant it because he shrugged with a shy smile. "Oh, my God, you did."

"You know that I have a big mouth, too, and I didn't get used to the fact that you aren't my partner anymore so quickly."

"I'm sorry, baby." She said, stood on her toes and gave him a peck.

He raised his brows with a smile. "Now pet names, some things do change."

"I called you baby every now and then."

He considered his words and shook his head. "Nah, not at work."

"It's not my working place." She replied with a smirk.

"Not yet, and people in here do know you since the day you started working here."

"Some changes aren't always that bad," Liz replied and started to walk towards the counter near the exit.

He watched her walking and started to beam broadly. "She's coming back." He said to himself but suddenly stopped at a young officer's booth who was staring at his wife's butt. "Hey, eyes on that price. Bub. Otherwise, I put you down there and practice shooting."

The color drained from the young man's face and his body went stiff. "Yes, Sir."

Adam swallowed a growl and kept on walking. "And she's going to be the death of me, some way or the other."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guy. Thank you for your support.**

 **I changed the cover and the title of the story but the storyline is still be the same. I just wanted to note that before you think that's another unfinished story of mine.**

 **Anyway, I hope you'll like this update.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73.**

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"Are you sure, " Jane asked with a deep frown and took a swig from her coffee, frowning deeply.

Maura placed her phone on the kitchen island and heaved a heavy sigh. "The results are without any doubt. The blood we found mixed with Liz' is no match with Daniel Acosta's nor one of the other officers who seem to be involved in this … conspiracy." She saw the look of her wife and shrugged. "I have no other word for this, Jane."

The brunette ran a hand through her hair and raised her brows. "No, conspiracy is dead-on, Maura. It's not your choice of words."

The blonde licked her lips and walked to the dining table her wife was sitting at. "Is it because Liz is going back to BPD today?"

The Italian shook her head but clenched the jaw. "I totally understand that she wants to be back on duty with the people she really knows and trust, I don't worry about that."

"She had the best teachers."

"You're talking about you and me, right?" Jane grinned when she saw the amused but warning look. "Frankie isn't all that bad as well. But then she sobered again. "I'm afraid that Liz is kicking the confrontation with Hanley down the road. That she tries to pretend that none of this ever happened." She paused and looked at the former ME. "Don't get me wrong, Maura. I am glad that she's back on track, Maura, I really am. And that she's trying to catch up as much time with Zane and Damian as possible. Geez, it has been a long time I have seen her so happy, but -"

"I'm afraid of the same thing, Jane," Maura stated the moment Jane trailed off and sat down next to Jane, placing her hand over the brunette's. I am also afraid of the moments when there are setbacks, the moments our daughter wants to run away again. And I am afraid that this next time we won't be so lucky and find her, alive. She is a daredevil, she always was and always will be. She is you!

Jane looked down at her hands with a shake of her head. "My old heart can't stand another time, Maura." She heaved a heavy sigh and closed her eyes for a brief moment, pressing her lips together like she was trying to keep her tears at bay. "This time we can forgive her, but if she's running once more instead of facing her worst fear … I am not going to look for her another time."

Liar, Maura said to herself but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she hurried to her wife and wrapped her arms around Jane tightly. "I love you."

Jane hesitated. "You love me for being willed to abandon our only daughter." She nodded slowly when she got no response. "You love me because you know that I never could leave Liz high and dry."

"I love you for being you, and that you care about your loved ones even though you say you wouldn't. How many times have you been there for Tommy? Or even your father and your mother? And how many times have you let them down?"

"Never," the brunette grumbled and furrowed her brows. "Not that I'd know of."

"You never let any of them down," Maura assured and put a hand on Jane's cheek. "Jane, you are a good person. You might have some flaws, but deep down in your heart you always want the best for those you loved. I know that you are now telling me that you won't be there for Liz if she needs your help, but I know better.

"I am that predictable, huh?"

"I was your best friend for years, and then we became a couple. It would be very bad if I don't know you just a little bit."

Jane kissed the blonde once, twice, and then she frowned deeply. "I want a divorce."

The former ME laughed and shook her head. "No, you don't."

Jane smirked from ear to ear and shook her head as well. "No, I don't."

Maura broke the embrace again and went back to the kitchen island, sipping her steaming tea. "What will your next steps be?"

"Well, I'll take a shower before I go and pick our only grandchild up before our only daughter and her husband went to work as a team again."

The blonde rolled her eyes and placed her mug back on the counter. "I meant what are your next steps in Liz' case are."

Jane took a deep breath and licked her lips with raised eyebrows. "I don't know what my next steps in her case are. I mean, it's still an ongoing case and actually, we're not supposed to mess with this case because officially we are a retired Chief Medical Examiner and a retired Lieutenant of the Homicide Unit. Us being involved in a homicide case could jeopardize it and Hanley and Ben could get away with whatever they hatched. For all I can say, what they're doing is big, and overlapping the departments and even states. If I'd still be their Lieutenant, I'd order them to get in touch with the feds, to play by the book because that is huge, Maura. This isn't just the revenge of one person. And unfortunately, Hanley has access to people who have all reason to be pissed off of one of the Rizzoli family."

"And Laverty."

"Huh?"

"Adam … Laverty. Remember? The father of our only grandson Zane and the husband of our only daughter Elizabeth."

Jane waved her wife's statement playfully off. "Rizzoli, Laverty. Who cares, in the end, we are a bunch of people who are really close and who are going to share a family tomb sponsored by the Isles family."

Maura smirked broadly until she started to chuckle and said, "I always knew that you only wanted to have a family tomb, that's why you asked me to marry you."

Jane sighed dramatically, and her shoulders slumped. "Sh …oot, you got me." She grinned when Maura laughed and held her hand out for the blonde. "I only fell in love with you for your family tomb. That's why I was driving everyone nuts the moment you went missing and everyone told me that you are gone." She tugged on the doctor's hand the moment Maura took hers until the former ME was sitting in her lap. "And look at that, my gut feeling was right. You were pretty much alive."

Maura smiled sweetly at her wife and ran her hand down at Jane's neck. "Softy."

"Badass who was pretty much right." Jane countered and looked deeply into hazel eyes with a sigh. "Thank God I was right. If I wouldn't have been, I would be no more by now. Then Ma would have had the burden to put me to grave next to you."

"We do have some family history, don't we?"

"It doesn't become boring."

"Do you think that it'll stay this way? The story of the Rizzoli and Isles family."

"I have faith that it's getting better at some point. That the lives of our descendants won't be as action-packed as our lives were. I mean, at some point they have to learn their lesson, right?" She lowered her brows when the smaller woman only shrugged. "At least I can say that I regret nothing. We have a good life, a smart, beautiful daughter who came back to her senses, a son-in-law who's worth the trouble, the best grandson in the world, nephews who are amazing, friends we always can rely on. I got you in my life, as a friend, lover, and wife. I don't know what else I could ask for, I'm perfectly happy."

"Are you?"

"Yes. Aren't you?"

"I'd be happier if you would go more regularly to your medical check-ups."

Jane rolled her eyes and swallowed a growl. "I know that I have an appointment with my cardiologist in two days. The last few months I had been quite busy." She pursed her lips the moment Maura quirked an eyebrow. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"I would like to keep it that way for some more years."

"Don't worry about that," Jane said with a grin.

Maura closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile.

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Adam came down the stairs and needed a second glance the moment he looked at the brunette what was sitting at the kitchen counter who was in a deep conversation with their six-year-old son. She was dressed in a dark pants suit just like in old days, but this time she had her hair up in a ponytail already. "What's going on here," he asked to get their attention and went straight to the coffee maker, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Liz resisted the urge to click her tongue and smiled tightly. "We have another discussion why Zane can't come with us and why we have to pick him and Puck up at my parent's place."

The Belgian shepherd lifted his head the moment she said his name, yawned and dropped it back on his paws.

Adam watched the dog, furled his brows and lifted the mug to his mouth. "We already had that discussion, four times, last night."

Liz still smiled tightly and glared at Adam. "Apparently Zane is a little slow off the mark when it comes to that." She closed her eyes when Adam frowned a little. "I'm sorry." She said more to him and turned to Zane. "Dad and I have to go to work."

"Why," the boy asked short and crisp.

She blinked a couple of times and her husband hid his grin behind his mug. "Be … cause it's our job to catch the bad guys to keep you and other people safe."

"Why?"

"Because you're eating us out of house and home the bigger you get." Adam answered and this time it was Liz who was glaring. He cleared his throat and put the cup down on the counter. "Because you like things like cheeseburgers, pizza, grilled chicken and … tofu." He snorted when Zane and Liz made a face at the same time when it came to tofu. "Mom and I have to work so we can buy all the food you like to eat."

"Everything I want," the boy asked, and his eyes lit up.

Liz frowned deeply. "Well -"

Adam stopped her by raising a hand and the brunette pursed her lips. "Most of the things you like." He narrowed his eyes as soon as his son did the same and Liz rolled her eyes. But then the mood in the room shifted. "Buddy, Mommy's coming back. I promise. And I come back, too. I always keep my promise, right?"

Zane looked long at his father and started to nod slowly with a pout.

"And I keep it this time, Zane. Mom is going to put you to bed and read you a bedtime story as she used to since she's back home. And if you let me, I'll give you a hug, too."

The little boy was very capable of heaving a sigh and nodded slowly. "Okay."

Adam straightened up the second someone rang the doorbell. "I get this."

Liz opened her mouth to protest but shut it again as soon as he hurried around the corner. "I … uh … oh … okay." She sighed heavily and looked at the boy who once was thrilled that she was back and now eyed her like she was an intruder. "You still try to get used to it that I am around all the time, huh."

"My father said that you would leave again," Zane answered with lowered brows. "When do you leave because I don't like your food."

"You don't like it because it's not always pizza and burgers?"

"I don't like it because Nona's lasagna is better."

Her eyebrows shot up high and she smiled a little. "I can't argue with that, bug. Nona's lasagna is way much better than mine. I guess I need more practice, huh?"

"Yep."

"Okay." She laughed and turned to the sink to put her mug in the sink, eyes big. "He makes no bones of hating me and my dishes, at least my son's honest. He hates me but he's honest."

"Look who's here to pick up her -" Jane trailed off and her smile dropped the moment she rounded the corner and saw the grim face of her daughter. "favorite grandson." She finished less enthusiastically and straightened up, glancing at Adam. "The same old song?"

"Yep," Adam replied and crossed his arms over his chest, watching Liz filling a traveling mug with coffee. "Is that -"

Liz kissed the head of her son who wrinkled his nose and then the cheek of her mother, glaring at him. "You want some of that?"

Adam bit his goodbye and followed her hot on the heels. "Yes, please."

"That's what I call bad luck." She growled at him and walked towards his car.

Adam slowed his steps and frowned. "You do know that we already exchanged our DNA, plenty of times. The boy inside this house is the best example for that. He's made of your and my DNA. He's you and me, we made him."

Liz turned to him and opened the passenger's door, blinking against the sun. "Yes, I am very aware of that, I was present."

Adam swallowed hard and scratched his chin. "You make it sound like it was the most awful night in your life and that you regret it."

Liz rolled her eyes and sighed. "Neither of this is true. It wasn't an awful night and I sure as hell don't regret the outcome of it. That would mean that I'd regret that this … spoilt brat has a big part in my life."

Adam fought hard to keep a straight face and frowned. "Really? You call your own son a spoilt brat?"

She closed her eyes and set her jaw, inhaling deeply. "I know I shouldn't say such things, but he's treating me like -"

"You're his mother and that he gets paid for having a discussion at every time of day," he asked and opened the driver's door, getting into his car. "Welcome to parenthood, Misses Elizabeth Laverty."

"Don't go there again." She warned him and slapped his hand the moment he reached for her traveling mug. "I didn't take your last name after we got married and I won't take it after we got back together." She slapped his hand again. "Would you stop that."

"You didn't take my last name because you don't like double-barreled names." He replied and shook his hand with furrowed brows. "Come on, just one little sip."

"I don't like it because I officially already have one, Elizabeth Rizzoli-Isles, that's why my mothers went without a middle name for me. I know what just one sip means in the world of yours. We can stop at a coffee shop get you a coffee. You'll survive that trip."

Adam grabbed her wrist but released it immediately when grazed her fainting scar with the tips of his fingers and she clenched her jaw. "We have to talk about it, Liz."

The brunette started to chew on the inside of her cheek and her eyes were glued to her wrist. "There is nothing left to talk about. Someone tried to kill me, end of story."

"When are you talking to Hanley," he asked and held his breath for a second. "I mean, I am really happy that you are back. I mean, the real you, partly you are back. You are snappy again and got your self-confidence back again. And look at your swagger since you got your badge back on your belt. But that's only ninety percent of you. At some point you have to face him, otherwise, you let Hanley some control over your life."

"Even if we are able to bring his organization down, I won't be the same person I was before." She paused and pressed her lips together. "I won't be the Elizabeth again you knew before all of this happened." Finally, she was able to trace the scars on her wrists with her fingers and frowned. "You know, Ma got her stigmas in her palms when she was chasing her demon, her nemesis, and she brought him down. I heard the stories, as a kid, I asked to hear about them because I know that the stories ended well. And I'm so proud of Ma, she's my hero, she's the reason I became a cop, cuz I wanted to be a knight in shining armor, too. But I am not, I didn't face the dragon, I didn't kill the demon when I had the chance to. Adam, I ran, I ran as far as possible and that's nothing to be proud of. And Will is a person who can taste someone's weakness, he's like a snake. Every time I wanted to break up with him he brought up my family and my career, and that 'd cared about him. I'm not even sure if I ever loved him. Every time I thought about breaking up with him I felt relieved like a heavy burden was lifted off my chest, but I never got the chance to talk about it privately. Either we've been discussing our private issues in the Café or we didn't talk at all because he couldn't control himself and we ended up in a locked breakroom."

"Well, you are a very attractive woman." Adam threw in and held his hands up when she glared at him. "I'm just saying. I'm sorry."

Liz smiled and looked into his eyes, leaned over the center console and gave him a peck. "You're forgiven."

"Thank God." He laughed but sobered when he saw that there was still something that kept her mind busy. "You're scared."

She wiggled her brows and smiled a sad smile. "he threatened y family, of course, I'm scared." She paused for a moment. "I mean, I am really scared. And Will is gonna to use that against me because he knows that you guys are my weakness."

Adam looked long at her and saw the everlasting fear back in her eyes. He took her hands back in his. "Maybe it's time to turn your weakness into your strength. Maybe it's time to show Hanley that he can't break you or even isolate you, that all of your friends and your family still have your back. Nothing has changed, Liz. You are not alone anymore. You still have us, you still have me and nothing in this world could shake my love for you. That's why we are sitting here."

"And if I'd asked for a divorce while being in San Diego?"

"We'd be here anyway because you are my best friend, and I always tend to be there for my friends."

"You also tend to get shot."

Adam laughed and squinted up at the roof. "Don't remind me of that. That hurt, twice. The Shooting wounds healed faster than the one on my heart. Seeing you leaving with random guys night by night was killing me. It might sound crazy but after I got out of the coma I knew that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He tugged his chin in because he also realized how creepy his words sounded. "Even if we turned out to be just friends. I'd never leave your side unless you'd asked me to. I also care about the ones I love."

"Obviously."

"That includes friends."

"You can't be real."

"I am very, very real."

"You need to have flaws."

"I have a bunch of them. One them is that I don't hide the fact that I have a soft side, especially when it comes to you."

Liz finally chuckled. "You arrested me."

Adam didn't crack a smile but frowned. "Under protest."

"You were doing your job," Liz stated, and her smile dropped. She took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "You were just doing your -"

"Still I see you in my dreams, not that often anymore since you are back home, but I still see you laying on the floor, in your own blood and the blood of Waterston." He stated and avoided to look at her. "But since the night we found you at a crime scene with wrists cut open I had dreams about you, nightmares. Frankie and me … we …" He trailed off and shook his head. "We helped Chaz, meager, to make sure that he'd make it. It was already too late for Waterston. But Frankie and I … we … if it would have been necessary, either of us would have given all of our blood to you. The DA's office was pressing for results and an arrest. I still hear you yelling at me in my dreams, that you are innocent, that you didn't commit the murder and that I felt like I was throwing the key to your cell away that day, some people obviously hoped so, they didn't expect me to dig a little deeper. Frankie had my back even though the DA wanted us to close the case, so he could press charges." He smiled wryly and shrugged. We staved him as much as possible and even jeopardized the case by involving Jane and Maura. You can imagine that DA Peterson wasn't all that happy about it. But if we wouldn't have done so, Hanley would have won." He stopped and glanced at her again. "Now it's your turn not to show the white feather, Liz."

The brunette held his gaze and swallowed hard. "Something's telling me that you already have a plan."

"I do," he replied and started the engine pulling out of the driveway. "I just have to talk with Frankie and the others about it."

"You're gonna let me in on it?"

"Nope, not yet."

"Great," Liz grumbled and looked out of the window.

Adam rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut for now.

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Adam sat down at the opposite of Frankie in the conference room and straightened his tie.

The older man scrutinized him for a second and frowned deeply. "Do you really think it's a good idea to let Liz interview Troy Flynn alone? I mean, it's her first day back."

Adam took a deep breath and wiggled his brows. "It's better to plunge her in at the deep end instead of treating her with kid gloves. She needs to have the feeling that she's back in control. And she's not all alone with Flynn, Newman is watching the whole thing from the monitoring room. Did you see how he was looking at her when we brought him down the hallway?"

Frankie nodded slowly and leaned back in his chair.

Troy Flynn was a thirty-one-year-old. He had a fair complexion, straight light brown hair cut short, and dark brown eyes. He was short and a bit pudgy. The family of his wife Jennifer noticed that he was behaving strangely after she and their six-months-old son Ryan suddenly disappeared two weeks ago.

Jennifer's parents started to call him and asked him to get Jennifer on the landline because she'd wouldn't pick up when they called Jennifer's cell phone. Troy then told them that Jennifer and he and his wife had a big fight the other night and that she packed some things, got their son and disappeared without telling him where she'd go. Since that night no one heard of Jennifer again, what alarmed Jennifer's parents. The fact that Troy Flynn didn't report Jennifer and his son made him look queer, and that Troy suddenly showed up at his workplace and at the homes of his friends with a young dark-haired woman, introducing her to them as his new girlfriend. Those facts made him, Frankie and Newman look closely into her disappearance and the three men came to the conclusion that Jennifer didn't just run away, that something must have happened to her. They didn't arrest Troy, though, they asked him in a friendly manner to come to the station and answer some of their questions.

Adam led Troy down the hallway and explained to the smaller man that all the conference rooms were in use and that they'd talk in an interrogation room instead. Troy didn't object and shrugged. The moment Adam saw how Troy nearly undressed Liz with his eyes when she came out of the breakroom made him want to punch the other man's face. But then a thought hit his mind and he asked to lead Troy Flynn into the interrogation room, following his wife. He let Liz in on the case and asked her to do the interrogation, but also told her that he'd understand if she wouldn't be ready for that just yet.

The brunette hesitated for a moment and chewed on the inside of her cheek until Newman assured her that he'd be the whole time in the monitoring room and watching the interview, and if necessary, he'd come in and help her. After that, Liz agreed to do the interrogation of Troy Flynn.

Adam shifted in his seat and looked through glassy walls into the hallway. "Have you thought about my suggestion?"

Frankie nodded again and scratched the back of his head. "Peterson won't agree to that."

"I don't give a damn about Peterson, Frankie. If I have to, I'll bring him here myself."

"Jane won't agree to that either."

The younger man frowned lightly and ran his hand over his beard. "She will if she thinks it's your idea."

Frankie scoffed and leaned forward. "You want me to lie to my sister?" He waited for Adam's answer and continued when none came. "And even if I'd try to lie to her, Jane will see through it immediately. I was never able to fool her, my entire life, Adam."

Adam heaved a sigh and nodded slowly. "Then I talk to her about it. What can happen? The only thing that can happen is that she's having my guts for garters."

"At least. I can try to convince Peterson about the whole thing, and I can try to get the others on board. I'm sure I can find some people who are helping. Do you have a plan how to tell Liz about your idea?"

"Getting her sloshed?"

Frankie scoffed and took a deep breath. "Do you think that's working?"

"Probably not."

The older detective smiled broadly and nodded once again before he got up to his feet, leaving the room without another word.

Adam leaned back in his chair and ran his hand over his beard once again. After the short talk with Frankie, he wasn't sure about his plan himself anymore and he was afraid that it would make Liz run again or even worse, freak out. He sighed heavily and got up to his feet as well to call Jane and tell her about his newest plan.

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"I don't like the plan," Maura said with a shake of her head and placed her teacup on the coffee table. "I don't like the idea at all."

Jane was sitting on an armchair and had her elbows on her knees, frowning. "I am not the biggest fan of it, Maura. But I get Adam's point. Liz has to show Hanley that he has no more control over her life and that he was not able to tear her away from her family and friends."

"Doesn't return to police prove that enough," the blonde asked and closed her eyes as if she knew that her question was kinda silly. She never wanted to become a mother who questioned her child's estimation.

Jane nodded slowly and started to rub the palms together. "It's one step to get back in control, Maura. Facing Hanley and showing him that his actions didn't really affect her life by showing that she still has the support of her family, friends, and co-workers maybe make him understand that all he did was in vain."

"What are we supposed to do, Jane? Stand in the hallway and hold Zane at the hand while this psychopath walk by? Are we supposed to let William Hanley scare our grandson so maybe our daughter can get some closure?"

Jane stared at her wife and sat up straight, furrowing her brows. "If I remember right, you normally use to be the positive one. I am normally the negative, grim person who's saying that I'd kill the person who's threatening my loved ones and do everything to protect them while you're trying to talk me out of one of my crazy plans."

Maura rolled her eyes and licked her lips. "Jane."

Jane was up to her feet in no time and walked over to the couch her wife sitting on, taking Maura's hands in hers. "What can go wrong, Maura? He's going to be in a building full of cops."

Maura looked long at the Italian and a light frown grazed her forehead. "I can think of plenty of things that could go wrong during his transport from the jail to the station. Not to mention what could go wrong in the station. If I recall correctly, once there had been a shoot-out, TJ nearly got born in the entrance hall of the station, Frankie almost died in there, you almost died in front of it, I got taken from the station twice, you got taken in front of it -"

"Okay," Jane cut her off and closed her eyes briefly. "Stop, stop. Maura, just stop, okay. Those things happened in the past and each of us turned out to be fine. Frankie is leading the Homicide Unit quite good and you are here with me, both of us are in perfect condition. Nothing happened to us, Maura." She waited and tug a strand of hair behind Maura's hair. "Adam just let us in on his plan, doubt that our stubborn daughter is going to agree to that. No, I know that she won't agree to that. And even if she does, Zane isn't going to be a part of this. Neither of us is going to let this happen."

Maura pressed her lips together and looked through the French door, watching her grandson chasing the Belgian shepherd across the yard. "He is already a part of this, Jane."

The Italian furrowed her brows and tugged at the blonde's hand, so she'd skid closer. "I know, Maura, I know. But we won't let him get involved in this even more. Adam won't let this happen, not to mention our daughter."

"I am afraid, Jane."

"About what?"

The former ME looked into dark brown eyes and pressed her lips together. "That Elizabeth will do something stupid when she's facing William when he's defenseless."

"He deserves everything she wants to do to him," Jane replied and set her jaw for a second. "I would let Liz rip him apart with her bare teeth." She raised her brows when she saw the glare. "I would let her do so. I doubt that Adam, Frankie, and Newman are thinking the same way."

"I am not sure about it."

Jane heaved a heavy sigh and wiggled her brows. "I don't think that they're going to turn off the cameras and leave Hanley and Liz alone. They won't do that."

"That's what you would do?"

"If I'd still be in charge?"

"Yes."

"You really have to ask me that?"

Maura frowned again and tightened the hold on her wife's hand. "I would do the same and that scares me, too."

"I know," Jane replied honestly and glanced long at the woman who's normally the kind and soft part in their marriage while she used to be the one who was the one with tough love. "It'll be over, Maura."

The blonde smiled at Jane and leaned forward to kiss her gently. "Yes, I know that, Jane."

Jane got up to her feet and helped her wife to do the same. "Come on, it's a beautiful day and Zane is about to chase the dog to death. Let's help Puck."

Maura sighed dramatically and let Jane pulling her to her feet.

"See it as cardiac training." The former detective laughed amused.

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"No," Liz stated louder and paced in the conference room up and down, arms crossed over her chest, frowning. "No!"

"I'm not really fond of this idea either," Peterson said and shifted in his seat. He was in the age of fifty. He had a dark complexion and was bald and had dark brown eyes. He was very tall, somewhat thin, and was wearing a dark gray suit.

She stopped pacing and pointed at him. "Hear that Peterson isn't very fond of it either."

"That's because I'm still not convinced that you're not working for William Hanley." The DA shot back and Liz let her arms drop back to her sides.

"Seriously?" She almost growled and Frankie, Adam, and even Newman closed briefly their eyes. "You are still not convinced that I am not a handmaid of William Hanley? I was on the run for five years, he almost destroyed my life and killed my former partner because I was about to bust his organization, Counselor. William Hanley threatened my family. He let me know that he let my husband, my mothers, and my son and my dog and everyone I care about get killed in the most painful way before his hitman burns down the house. Then he'd get to me"

Peterson leaned forward and looked at her with a frown. "William told you that with his own words to you, in person? Do you have any proof of that? Like a record or email?"

Liz' shoulders slumped, and she licked her lips, her face was dark. "No, he didn't tell me that in person, or email. But he has his ways to let someone know that you don't have much time left to go. I mean, I had no reason to kill James Waterston." She paused and rolled her eyes. "Well, he was a prick, okay, but that's no reason to kill someone."

Adam was rubbing the bridge of his nose and said warningly. "Elizabeth, stop talking."

"Everyone knows that Waterston was a prick and that no woman wanted to work with him because he used to grope."

"Is that why you snapped? Because he sexually harassed you?"

"What," she asked with a high-pitched voice. "No. I worked with Waterston because there was a connection to Dan Acosta, William Hanley's cousin who tried to get him out of jail by all cost. Dan Acosta also tried to rape me back in San Diego because Hanley ordered him to."

Frankie and Newman exchanged surprised looks and Frankie sat up straight.

Peterson scrutinized her for a minute. "Did Waterston know about that?"

Liz lost some of her confidence again as soon as she felt the eyes of her uncle on her and worried her bottom lip. "I … don't know. When Acosta attacked me, I wasn't working with Waterston anymore, I didn't even live in Boston anymore. It's possible that he got to know about it and that's the reason why he wanted to talk to me when I came back here, but I don't know. The memory of the night is still blurry."

"Why didn't you tell us about what happened in San Diego," Frankie asked the second the DA opened his mouth.

"That's a very good question, Rizzoli," Peterson said anyway.

Liz clenched her jaw briefly. "Because I had my own way to solve this problem. It had nothing to do with what was going on in Boston."

"Other ways to solve the problem? You mean, beat your other colleagues to death when they didn't see the attack coming from behind?"

"No, other ways to solve the problem like working with the IA in SDPD." She shot back and heard Frankie and Newman groan. "Contact IA officer Eddie Winters, she was the one who asked for my transfer. There were plenty of complaints against several detectives who sexually harassed their female colleagues. It turned out that some of them were about to start a drug business in San Diego and Dan Acosta is the head of it." She stopped and stepped closer to the table, furling her brows. "What do you think how a detective can afford a lawyer like Ben Payton?" She glanced at the other men and swallowed hard. "Look, I know that Dan Acosta isn't smart enough to plan all of this on his own, he hardly passed the detective's exam. And he was always one of the good guys until Hanley got in the picture. Counselor, this is so much bigger than you think."

"Is that why you tried to kill yourself? To get out of it without consequences?"

"I did not try to kill myself," Liz replied louder and held her hands up. "Someone else did this to me, Peterson. Go, check my background. There were never any signs of mental issues. I come from a good family, I grew up in a protected environment, I had good grades in school and graduated college while I was a patrol officer, I always maintained a low profile during my career as a patrol officer."

Adam suddenly started coughing and she looked at him.

Frankie choked on his water after those words left her mouth and looked into the glass with a frown.

"What?"

Peterson leaned back in his chair and linked his hands. "I heard some stories about you and your career as a patrol officer. You rather seemed to be kinda reckless than thoughtful."

She rolled her eyes and braced herself on the wooden table. "When you're on patrol it happens, you get in the line of fire, then you're reacting on instinct and not what your brain's telling you. I really doubt that you understand what I'm talking about."

"Liz." Adam again said warningly.

"She's right," Newman stated, and the others looked surprised at him. "A lawyer can't understand what it means when you're just trying to do your job day in, day out and then you're suddenly staring into the barrel of a gun. We do their dirty work while they're sitting in their offices and think about what kind of charges they can press. We are the one who get killed on a daily basis, not them."

Adam linked his hands on top of the table and looked at them, wiggling his brows. "It's true. All of us in this room, who are cops, has been shot at least once."

Peterson got up from his chair and shoved his hands in the pocket of his slacks, turning his back to them. "I may don't know what it is like to wear a uniform or to stare in the gun of a barrel day in, day out, Detectives. But that doesn't mean that I don't know what it means to stand up for justice and what it feels like having a bounty on the head."

"That's not what we're trying to say, Counselor." Adam finally said took a deep breath. "All of us are well aware that your job is as dangerous as ours, we all already have been investigating a DA's murder one time too much, Sir."

Peterson turned to them again and something had changed. "I know, and I appreciate your work. But that doesn't explain why she met with James Waterston and why he ended up dead, why Charles Montoya was almost beaten to death."

Liz swallowed hard and licked her lips. She closed her eyes to recall the day she came back to Boston and how she ran accidentally into James Waterston. She sucked her lower lip in. "I was supposed to meet with on the market with Chaz, he asked me to meet up with him as soon as I told him that I was coming here. We wanted to meet near Red's Best that afternoon and then I run into James." She said hesitantly, and the men looked at her without saying a word. She tilted her head and frowned. "He looked kinda scared when I asked him how he was doing and told me to meet him later. That he had to talk to me about something that'd involve my past. I … I asked him what that would mean but before he answered James told me again to meet him later. I met up with Chaz and told him about the incident and he told me that he was coming with me even if I'd say no. In the early evening, we met with James."

Peterson waited patiently but then said, "Keep going."

Liz opened her eyes again and shook her head. "The next thing I remember is a blow to my head and that everything went dark."

"That's what evidence also saying, Counselor," Newman stated and shrugged. "Her blood was underneath Waterston's. I really doubt that this evidence was manipulated. No one knocks themselves unconscious and then kills other people while they're out."

Peterson seemed like he let the words sink in and ran his hand over his mouth, looking Liz. "Bring William Hanley in. ASAP." He ordered and opened his briefcase to put his files inside of it.

Adam was the first who was back on his feet. "On it, Sir."

Frankie needed a little longer. "Thanks, Chris."

"What," Liz asked perplex and frowned deeply. "No, that was not supposed to happen. You shouldn't bring Hanley to BPD."

"You sounded like you have a lot to talk about with William Hanley," Peterson replied and closed the lid of the briefcase.

She blinked a couple of times and frowned, and the other detectives turned to her. "No. I mean, yes, I do but I thought that I'd pay him a visit at jail. With guards and cameras, and things like that."

Peterson straightened up and took the briefcase with a sigh in his hand. "This is a police station, Detective Rizzoli. Here are enough people who are carrying a gun. What do you think that can happen?"

Liz clenched her jaw and watched the DA leaving the conference room. She followed him to the door and thrust her index finger into Adam's chest when he held the door open for her. "This isn't over yet."

He frowned and grunted when she grabbed his tie and dragged him in the direction of the breakroom. "Um, okay. That's a little weird right now." He watched the door close behind them and straightened the tie again. "That's my favorite tie, Liz. You should know that it's the last Christmas gift I got from you."

"No, it wasn't." She said and crossed her arms over her chest. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I thought that this one fit perfectly my shirt today."

Liz glared at him and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You bring Will to BPD, so I can talk to him?"

"I let him bring here so you're going to talk to this son of a bitch at all." He countered with a low voice and leaned against a small counter. "Because it seems to me that you're trying to avoid this damn encounter for a long while. And I want to get done with this damn hide-and-seek. I want my life back, too, Liz, and I want my wife back without looking over my shoulder 24/7. So, we're bringing Hanley in and you're gonna talk to him. Nothing's gonna happen. Maybe he accidentally runs into a wall, but that's it."

A small smile played around her lips, but she passed him without a word, punching his shoulder hard.

He groaned and rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"

"You said you want your life back, and your wife. That's just the beginning." She answered while walking down the hallway and grinned.

"I didn't mean that I like S&M." He grumbled and started to follow her. "Sometimes I really should shut my mouth."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Frankie and Newman were leading Hanley through the entrance hall of the BPD a couple of days later and every single officer in it became silent the second they laid eyes on the man in the orange jumpsuit with a heavy chain around his waist, ankles, and wrists.

"You're making a show of this." Hanley laughed and looked at Frankie. "Impressive."

Frankie gave him a hard shove and growled, "Move."

The felon laughed throatily and glanced in the direction of the Café. "Is there no time for a real coffee? The one in prison taste like rinsing water."

"If you don't shut your mouth, I'll shut it for you," Newman growled now and shoved Hanley into the already waiting elevator.

"How are you again?" Hanley laughed.

"I will be your worst nightmare if you don't stop."

"I doubt so."

The old man stepped into his personal space and his face was dark, it even scared Frankie. "Try me."

Hanley ginned and looked at Frankie as soon as the door closed. "How's the family, Frankie. How is Jane doing? Maura?" A smug smiled appeared. "Your kids? Liz?"

That's when Frankie lost it. He pushed Newman to the side and Hanley against the wall of the elevator. He pressed his forearm against the felon's throat and Newman didn't stop him from doing so. Frankie's faces was only inches away from Hanley's. "If you ever dare to talk about my family again, I rip your tongue out of your mouth and shove it down your throat, I promise you that."

The other man held his gaze and still smirked. "She is like the daughter you never had, right?"

Frankie set his jaw and clenched his right hand into a fist, raising it.

"Give me a reason to sue you," Hanley whispered provokingly

"Frank, no," Newman said and placed his hand on the other detective's shoulder. "He's not worth it."

Frankie stared Hanley straight in the eye and saw the amusement in them, then he slammed his fist into the metal wall, right next to the felon's head, leaving a dent in it.

Hanley laughed out loud. "That was so much fun."

"You think someone would notice that I shot this son of a bitch before we arrived on the third floor?" Frankie growled.

Newman shrugged. "He was reaching for your weapon. You shot him in self-defense."

"You guys are funny." Hanley laughed and tried to clap his hands, in vain. "Are you the new version of Laurel and Hardy?"

Frankie growled low and looked up at the display while Hanley was still laughing.

He pressed his lips together and exhaled loudly when the door opened on the third floor. He shoved the felon out of the elevator. "Move, son of a bitch."

Hanley's laugh died down the moment he saw all the uniformed officers and detectives standing in line against the left and right wall down the hallway who started to stare at him. He swallowed hard and started to walk again. He stopped when he saw Chaz standing in his uniform next to Leslie. "You're doing better, huh." He glanced at the redhead. "How are you doing, Leslie?"

Frankie gave him another shove. "How many times do I have to tell you to move."

Hanley spotted Jane and Maura and smirked, saying to them, "It's good to see you guys. Did you miss me?"

Jane leaned forward and growled, "I miss you as much as I miss Downton Abby, not the slightest bit."

"What about you, Maura?"

The former doctor didn't answer but quirked an eyebrow.

He blinked with the same smirk. "Ouch, that hurt." He stumbled forward when he got pushed another time. "Alright, I'm moving."

"Open the damn door," Newman ordered, and an officer opened the door to the interrogation room that was set up for this meeting.

Hanley stared the young man straight into the eye and pursed his lips. "Oh, he hates me."

"Even your grandmother would hate you for who you are." Newman hissed and led the man into the room.

"True." Hanley sighed and frowned because Peterson was sitting with the back to him. But then his eyes landed on Adam, who was leaning against the wall behind the empty chair and smirked. "I didn't see that coming. How's your son doing? Is he asking for his mommy?"

Adam fixed him with his eyes and forced himself not to move any muscle in his body, biting his tongue.

Hanley tried to suppress his smirk but failed, he groaned the moment Frankie pressed him hard onto the metal chair across from Peterson. "That's what I call a Welcome Home Party. I guess you have some questions I might answer." He leaned forward and rubbed his index finger with his thumb. "I can give you all the answers you want."

Peterson nodded and skidded over to the empty chair that was next to the one he was actually sitting on and for the first time he saw confusion in Hanley's eyes. "I was hoping you say that, Mr. Hanley."

"Is this musical chair now," the other man asked with an uncertain laugh and tugged on his chains. "That's unfair, though." He looked at the door the second it was opened and furled his brows. His face turned blank as soon as he noticed the person who entered the room.

Adam pushed himself off the wall and leaned to Hanley's ear. "You didn't see that coming, huh? All those people in the hallway and down the stairs are not here for you, they are here for her. You are on your own, Hanley. No one's coming for you, you are on your own, buddy."

Hanley stared at her and swallowed hard as she leaned with her back against the door.

"Lizzy." He whispered, and his hands twitched like he was about to reach out for her.

Liz licked her lips and looked down at her feet. Her heart started to pick up its pace and her palms became sweaty. Not because she was excited to see him, but because panic started to rise in her again. She closed her eyes before she lifted her eyes and looked at him. "It's either Elizabeth or Detective Rizzoli. No one's calling me Lizzy. Not anymore."

He watched her sitting down on the chair across from him and placed his Hands as good as possible on the table. "You look ..." He grinned at her and shifted in his seat. "You look good enough to eat, as always."

Anger bubbled in Adam up and he slapped the other man's back of the head hard. "Watch your mouth!"

Hanley started to laugh hard but let his head hang down. "Do you still like dirty talk, Lizzy? I remember that it was getting you going."

Adam lost it and wanted to go after Hanley but Frankie and a uniformed pinned him against the wall.

"If you don't get your shit together, Adam, I drag your ass myself out." Frankie hissed low and felt Adam relax again. "You okay?"

Adam nodded but his eyes never left Liz', he nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

Liz nodded discretely, and her eyes found Hanley's, and a shudder run down her spine. "I actually never like the things you said to me when we … had sex. If I remember right, I once told you that I don't talk much during sex, but you were the one who couldn't shut his mouth like you were trying to spur yourself."

Hanley's face turned dark and he leaned forward. "Does he fuck you as good as I did?"

She resisted the urge to flinch and forced herself to lean forward as well, telling Adam to stay back with her eyes. She looked at her ex-boyfriend and smirked. "Obviously he is fucking me better than you did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the mother of his child. I mean, how many times did we tried it? Once? Twice? Thrice? And it never worked out. What does that say about you as a man?"

Hanley's face turned sour and he wanted to reach for her throat, luckily his cuffs kept him from doing so. "Whore!" He yelled at the top of his lungs and this time the officer who pinned Adam to the wall was the first who was at Hanley's chair and forced him down on it again. "I gave everything I had to you and you threw it away like it was nothing."

"No, I didn't. I gave you one chance after another and you always screwed up." She replied calmly even though her heart was racing. She frowned. "You were the one who asked to be transferred to Detroit and ended our relationship with that."

"I thought that would mean that we'd take a time out."

Liz licked her lips and furled her eyebrows the moment she realized that he meant it. "You are not a stupid guy, Will. You knew that it wasn't just a time out, you knew that it was the end of our story. And you knew that we'd never become a couple again, killing my family wouldn't have changed that."

Something changed in his eyes and he grabbed her hands tightly, but neither of the other men reacted now. "It was supposed to be our family." He growled and forced her closer. "It's supposed that you and I are together. It's supposed that we have a family. Jane and Maura … they never liked me and that's why they put me behind bars."

Liz tried to keep a straight face and nodded, she realized that he has been drifted off into his own world in which he was the victim. She forced herself to stay calm and to take his hands in hers even though she felt like she was about to throw up. She smiled weakly at him. "I see what you mean. My parents set you up, so they could set me up with Adam Laverty."

"Exactly." Hanley giggled excitedly and skidded to the edge of his seat, squeezing her hands hard and Liz clenched her jaw.

Adam was about to tug Hanley harshly back on the seat, but Frankie pushed him back. "She knows what she's doing." He whispered to the taller man. "Trust her."

In the same time, Jane was kicking a chair in the monitoring room hard and ran her hands through her hair, turning her back to Maura and Winters.

Maura stepped behind her wife and ran her hands over Jane's shoulder in hope to keep her wife's temper down. "She knows what she's doing, Jane."

"I didn't want to know such things about my daughter's sex life." The Italian hissed and tried to keep herself from yelling. "Didn't you notice that this son of a bitch had an erection when he brought the topic up?"

Maura closed her eyes for a brief moment. "I did notice it. And I am sure that anyone else noticed it, too. But we have to trust our daughter's abilities as a detective."

Hanley laughed and pointed at himself. "I was about to come back to Boston and pop the question."

Liz clenched her teeth and furrowed her brows. "You came back to Boston and showed up at my apartment, remember?"

Hanley furled his eyebrows and his eyes became unfocused. "Um -"

Liz frowned deeply. "Will, do you need a break."

He nodded vehemently. "Yeah, I guess I need a break."

"Can I get you something? Something to eat or something to drink?"

Jane straightened up and turned to the one-way mirror, furling her brows. "What the hell is she doing? He was about to tell why he wanted to kill her."

"Something's not right," Winters stated without taking her eyes away from the mirror.

Maura went to the other woman's side. "She's seeing something we are missing."

"Something that's bothering Liz," Winters added. "She has a good sense for things like that, that's why I asked for her help."

"You never mentioned how you got to know her," Jane stated, and Maura stepped closer to her wife. "How did you really got to know her."

Winters smiled a little when she turned to the couple. "I see where she got the ability from. She wasn't working the first time for Internal Affairs. Some police departments asked for her before."

Jane furrowed her brows. "Are you saying that my daughter's a rat?"

Maura hit Jane's shoulder with a gasp. "Jane!"

Winters cleared her throat. "She wasn't a rat in common sense. She just took a look at some files and records the department had of their detectives when they had been questioned in some suspect cases that involved themselves or their colleagues. She was more of an advisor. But she was that good that even the feds were interested in her."

Maura's eyes went wide. "The FBI?"

"Yes."

Jane wasn't so much impressed. "And how exactly got to know about her because my gut tells me that something about your story is really fishy?"

Winters looked straight into Jane's eyes and smiled. "I was one of her first cases."

Jane's face went blank and Maura's mouth dropped open.

"And you forget to mention that?" Jane yelled at Winters and stepped dangerously close. "How the hell are we supposed to trust you if you keep every single detail for yourself? How the hell do we know that you are no part of all of this?"

"Because your daughter saved my sorry ass when my cover blew!" Winters lost her temper as well and yelled back. "Neither of us knew that we were on the same side. I was a patrol officer who really wanted to be in the IA and I got a snitch of them, I looked out for dirty cops and unfortunately, I was very bad at because my supervisor got suspicious and asked for someone who could help him clean out the good from the bad. Every single brass knows that Liz is one of the good ones and that they can rely on her abilities."

"That was the reason why she went on so many in-service training." Maura whispered more to herself.

Winters looked at the blonde and nodded. "Officially, that's the reason, yes. And neither of us knew that we were running investigations in each other's case. Liz and I got to know when we were supposed to do a drug deal with seized drugs of a drug lord you better don't mess with. I was playing the role of the dirty cop and didn't know that there was another officer of the IA was involved. The deal went wrong, and the dealer was about to shoot us, but Liz was faster and pulled the trigger. I was petrified but somehow, I pointed my gun at her. My whole body was trembling because I never shot someone before and then I had to shoot the person I trusted most, in the worst case. Thank God, she was the one who lowered her gun instead of shooting me and put her hand on the barrel of mine before I could make a mistake. Ever since that night, I know that I can rely on her whenever I need her. And I needed her badly in San Diego. Now I'm trying to pay my debts back."

Maura turned away and wiped a single tear off her cheek, hoping that it had gone unnoticed.

Jane pressed her lips together and clenched her fists like she was about to punch Winters. "I hope that it'll take a hell lot more to pay those debts back."

Jane stared at the other woman and swallowed a growl. "You know that you still have to pay back a hell of debts, right?"

Eddie turned the corners of her mouth downward and shook her head. "No. No, I think that Liz mentioned something like that we are even and besties."

Jane stepped closer with a dark face and was impressed that Eddie didn't step back or flinched. "No." She replied with a mean smile and pointed at her hair. "No, I wasn't talking about San Diego or Chicago, we're talking about Boston. See these gray hairs? I didn't get them because I got old … er, I in the last months because I was worried sick because of my daughter of whom I didn't hear for five years and who turned up only to be a prime suspect of a homicide. And who turned out to be working for IA besides Homicide. So, dear Eddie, you ow me a lot."

Finally, Eddie tugged her chin in and stepped back until her back hit the mirror. "Okay."

Maura slapped janes shoulder and the brunette started to chuckle. "No, you don't, Eddie. My wife's just ridiculous." She glared at Jane. "Stop intimidating her."

"I didn't intimidate her, did I," Jane asked innocently and frowned when both women raised their brows. "Sorry. But Liz is my daughter."

"I get it." Winters laughed.

"Can you tell me why I got the man who tried to kill you and my son a cheeseburger and a damn coke," Adam asked pissed when Liz took the items from his hand.

She looked long at him. "Watch and learn."

He looked dark at her but held the door to the interrogation open for her. "Something's telling me that you are keeping from me something." He whispered.

Liz ignored that and looked at the officer. "Uncuff him."

The officer straightened up and looked puzzled at her. "I'm sorry?"

Adam straightened up and was on high alert. "Detective Rizzoli!" He barked and expected the worst.

Frankie, on the other hand, furled his brows and nodded at the officer. "You heard her, uncuff him."

"Frankie -" Adam started to protest but was shut down by a raised hand.

Liz sat down on her chair and shoved the container to Hanley and frowned. "Bacon cheeseburger, fries with nothing and coke, just the way you like it."

His mouth was watering but he kept his hands to himself. "You remember who I like my burger?"

She held her breath but smiled. "Of course, I do." She looked at Adam who frowned and swallowed hard. "I was the one who told you that bacon wouldn't be good for my heart."

Liz swallowed hard and frowned. "Yes, I did that. William, can you ... can you tell me to whom I talked before?" She frowned when he shook his. "He was calling me some names and was angry at me."

"That was Simon."

"And to whom am I talking right now?"

He laughed and the hair in her neck stood up. "It's me, Will."

Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't say it, Maura."

Eddie looked confused at the two women. "Don't say what?"

Maura crossed her arms over her chest and stepped closer to Jane. "He's having DID, and we didn't notice."

"I said, don't say it."

Winters frowned deeply. "Again? What's DID?"

Jane pressed her lips together. "I warned you. Now you get the full Maura Isles-experience. I hope you brought some time."

Maura rolled her eyes and started, "According to the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DID symptoms include "the presence of two or more distinct personality states" accompanied by the inability to recall personal information, beyond what is expected through normal forgetfulness. Other DSM-5 symptoms include a loss of identity as related to individual distinct personality states, and loss referring to time, sense of self and consciousness. In each individual, the clinical presentation varies, and the level of functioning can change from severely impaired to adequate. The symptoms of dissociative amnesia are subsumed under the DID diagnosis but can be diagnosed separately. Individuals with DID may experience distress from both the symptoms of DID, intrusive thoughts or emotions and the consequences of the accompanying symptoms. The majority of patients with DID report childhood sexual or physical abuse, though the accuracy of these reports is controversial. Identities may be unaware of each other and compartmentalize knowledge and memories, resulting in chaotic personal lives. Individuals with DID may be reluctant to discuss symptoms due to associations with abuse, shame, and fear. DID patients may also frequently and intensely experience time disturbances. Around half of people with DID have fewer than 10 identities and most have fewer than 100; as many as 4,500 have been reported the average number of identities has increased over the past few decades, from two or three to now an average of approximately 16." Maura stopped and wondered why her wife hasn't stopped her by now.

Jane groaned but frowned when she didn't hear a question of the Winters.

Winters nodded slowly. "So, William Hanley actually is cray-cray?"

Jane nodded once. "In a nutshell, yes."

"And you understood every single thing Dr. Isles was saying?"

The former detective shook her head once and the blonde rolled her eyes. "In a nutshell, no, but over the years I learned how to decipher the deeper meaning of Dr. Isles' speeches."

Winters smiled broadly and pointed at her ears. I know that feeling very well." She frowned and looked at Maura. "No offense."

Maura smiled broadly. "None taken."

took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "And why didn't we notice that there is something seriously wrong with him? I mean, it's not like he and Liz had been together for only two weeks."

Maura frowned and shrugged. "People who suffer from this disorder are very good at hiding."

"You don't say," the Italian grumbled and furrowed her brows. She didn't mean to sound harsh but knew that it came out that way and glanced briefly at the smaller woman like she tried to apologize for her words silently.

Maura smiled a little and stepped closer to her wife.

Meanwhile, Liz leaned back in her chair and scrutinized Hanley for a while he gulped down his meal. "You know why you are in prison?"

He slowed his chewing and stared straight at her without answering the question.

She took that as a yes. "Why isn't your cell in the mental yard? And why aren't your mental issues noted in your record?"

He wiped his hands in a paper napkin and wiggled his brows. "Believe it or not, but I still have some friends."

"Like Bradley Chung, Jim Danielson, Steven Rice, Dan Acosta, and James Waterston?"

Haley tossed the napkin on the table and frowned. "Dan is my cousin, he's a little … he's special, and Waterston is a detective who never did something else than working for BPD, I don't know a Chung and Danielson."

"What do you know about your cousin's drug business?"

"You're kidding me, right," he asked laughingly but turned serious again the second Liz didn't crack a smile. "Dan would shit bricks at the thought of doing something illegal, let alone running a drug business as a cop. Besides, he isn't smart enough to do something like that without being caught."

"And if someone gives him a helping hand? Someone who's a bad influence?"

"Maybe, but he isn't that stupid to trust someone blindly." He stopped and glanced for a few seconds at the brunette and his eyebrows shot up. "You are talking about me, aren't you? Why would I ruin my cousin's life? For some drugs? For the money, I have no use for?"

"Perhaps for the same reason why you are after me? To take revenge on me and all the other people I care about and who put you behind bars."

Hanley blinked several times and leaned forward. "What the hell are you talking about? I put myself behind bars, I ruined my life for a reason I don't understand myself. I mean, yeah, I was mad at you for leaving me, but I was mad at you several times and that didn't make me shoot people. I … I really don't really know what made me snap." He saw her disbelieving eyes and shook his head. "I didn't plead insane, did I? I knew what I did was wrong and beard the consequences, I still do. And that won't change. I am not after you or those who arrested me. Why are you saying that I'd harm you in any way?"

Liz furled her brows and licked her lips, ignoring his question. "And why did you hire Benjamin Payton?"

He laughed out loud and leaned back in his chair again. "I didn't hire him in the first place, Lizzy. One day, he suddenly showed up in prison and asked for a conversation with me, telling me that he heard about my case and that he could get me out of there because of my mental state. I refused, though."

"What changed?"

"Being a free man doesn't sound that bad, does it?"

"You are aware of the contradiction, right? First, you say that you bear the consequences of your actions and now you're saying that you'd like to be a free man."

"Just because I like the idea doesn't mean that I'm going to be. Even if there will be a new trial, I won't plea insane, and neither will Ben."

Liz frowned deeply and seemed lost in her thoughts before she shoved a pad to Hanley. "Write everything down, every single detail. Frankie's staying with you."

Hanley took a pen in his hand and made a face. "Really? Frankie?"

Liz was about to get up from her chair and stopped midway, frowning. " If you give Detective Laverty preference -"

Hanley turned to Adam who had a grim expression and seemed like he was waiting that Hanley was making a wrong move, so he could shoot him. He shook his head and start to write something down on the pad. "Frankie's fine."

"I thought so," she replied with a smirk and got out of the room, Adam hot on her heels. "Liz, do you believe him?"

Liz turned to her husband and clenched her jaw, furrowing her brows. "I'm not really sure, but every time it comes down to him and Benjamin Payton. There has to be something I am missing, we are missing."

"Next stop Ben Payton?"

She shook her head and started walking. "Not yet, Adam, not yet."


	10. Chapter 10

"It's really nice of you to offer me a bed for the weekend." Winters stated from the backseat of Adam's car as soon as the group pulled into Jane and Maura's driveway.

Jane sat on the right side and turned a little. "Liz trusted you the whole time she worked with you, I guess that we'll be safe."

Winters smiled broadly but glanced at the back of Liz' head. "I never thought that you'd be driving a family car, Liz."

Liz exhaled heavily and looked into the rearview mirror. "It's not my choice of car."

Adam turned in the passenger's seat. "It's an Audi."

"A Audi that was a gift of us." Jane added and Adam and Liz rolled their eyes.

"Which I used to turn down until my dear mother-in-law more or less forced it on me."

"You … still could turn it down," Liz said skeptically and frowned.

"No, because my old car was gone and this one was standing in my driveway, with a card of Jane which said _Don't even think about, your car is already on t wrecking yard, probably already scrapped. Live with it! Love, Jane._ "

The younger Rizzoli turned to the brunette and frowned deeply. "Seriously, Ma?"

Jane shrugged and Maura smirked. "What? It was true! I couldn't hold Mom back and before I knew it, his car was already token away and that … well … scrapped. That's why I wrote the card. I knew that Adam loved his old Jeep."

"Because it was working just fine," Adam stated with a high-pitched voice.

"For you." Maura finally said and everyone looked at her. "But you also had to think about your baby son."

"That's why I bought a new booster seat. I didn't needed a new car."

Winters started to chuckle and shook amused her head. "I always thought that Liz was overexaggerating when she told me about you guys, but I have to say you are just like in her stories."

Maura looked surprised at Jane and the brunette frowned deeply, saying, "Thanks, I think."

Liz felt the eyes on Adam but avoided his eyes. "You were my only friend back in San Diego, Eddie."

"You could have mention that you have a kid, Rizzoli."

There was a long silence before Liz took a deep breath. "I was getting there."

Winters quirked an eyebrow and frowned a little and once again silence settled over the group.

Jane leaned forward the moment a person stepped from behind a tree and narrowed her eyes. Adam was highly alarmed already and wanted to get out of the car, asking what the hell this person was doing or even thinking. "You've got to be kidding me," the older Italian hissed through clenched teeth and unbuckled her seatbelt and was out of the car before her daughter could ask who this person was. And Maura gasped horrified.

Liz furled her brows and turned in her seat to face the former ME. "Mom, who's that man?"

Maura still wasn't able to tear her eyes away from the stranger and Jane who stepped dangerously close to the man. "His name is Timothy Rubino." She whispered more to herself and the color drained from her face.

Adam looked into the rearview mirror and frowned a little. "And who is Timothy Rubino?"

Finally, Maura's eyes found his and she swallowed hard. "He's Elizabeth's begetter."

"Oh, boy." Winters whispered the moment Liz' eyes grew huge.

"What did you just say," the younger woman asked a little too loud and Adam winced, making a face. "I thought that you and Ma … that … I don't have a father."

Maura blinked a couple of times and a deep frown crawled up on her forehead. She was silent for a moment before she finally looked at her daughter. "Of course, you have, Elizabeth. Not literally because he was a sperm donor but you do have a … father, somehow."

Liz raised her brows and Adam cleared his throat, asking. "What does this guy want? I mean, it's a little late to get in touch with Liz, isn't it?" He could see the confusion in Liz eyes and looked at the older woman. "And how the … how did he find out who you guys are and where you're living. And when did he figure out that you are Liz' mothers?"

Maura carefully watched Jane and leaned back into her seat. "Tim contacted us four years ago and told us that he has followed Liz' career ever since media mentioned her name and showed her face. Of course, we had been skeptical and asked who he is and what he wants. Tim told us that he probably is her begetter and that he wants nothing but to get to know our daughter because it appeared that she is the only one who made something of herself."

"And you just bought it off him," Liz asked skeptically and furrowed her brows.

Maura glanced long at him and it seemed like she was suppressing an annoyed huff. "Of course not, Elizabeth. You should know us better. Back then, I ran a sort of paternity test, with him and Zane."

"As far as I know I am Zane's father." Adam stated and prepared himself for a punch of his wife which didn't come.

"I am very well aware of that fact, Adam." Maura replied and glared at him, this time he winced for real. "But Zane's DNA also contains Liz' DNA and she has the same like me and her … **father**. And it turned out that Tim was telling the truth, he's her begetter."

"What about me?" Liz asked with a high-pitched voice and pointed at herself.

"What about you?"

"What if I don't want to meet this man? I mean, I am thirty-five now which means that he had thirty-five years to get in touch with you and me. I don't need a father now. I never needed one, I have you and Ma."

Maura reached out and placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder like she was trying to tell Liz that she still had them. "It's your decision, Liz. He wants to get to know you, but he has to except it if you don't want to know who he is?"

Liz nodded and watched her mother getting out of the car, and Winters did the same. She took a deep breath and frowned deeply.

Adam, on the other hand, kept sitting on the driver's seat and looked long at the brunette. "Have you never been curious, never wanted to know who your biological father is?"

Liz licked her lips and looked at him, shrugging. "Of course as a kid, I wanted to know who my begetter was, but I already knew then that I would never have a real father, which was perfectly okay, I had my mothers, and that was totally cool."

"Because Jane took over the male part?"  
"Don't tell her."

He snorted amused and smiled when he saw her smile. "I won't." He took a moment and dared to place his hand on her thigh. "You've been through a lot those last years, are you sure you're ready for this?"

She clenched her jaw and licked her lips once more, wiggling her brows. "I am absolutely not, but it's not like I have a lot of choices."

"I can start the engine and drive home without him knowing who you are or even talking to you."

"I know." The brunette replied and leaned over the center console, looking down to his lips. "Come here." She whispered and kissed him once, twice.

"I'm here whenever you need me. If you want him to take a long hike off a short pier, I'll make him." He whispered against her lips and saw her smile again.

"I know." Liz replied and took her distance again. She felt the eyes of her mothers and the man named Timothy Rubino and frowned slightly, and she felt that he was craving to talk to her. _Am I willed to face another change in my life I haven't asked for?_ She thought to herself and didn't move an inch. She started to worry her bottom lip and stared out of the windshield, not looking at anyone particular. _This man doesn't have the right to get to know me and I am beyond sure that Adam and Ma would make him walk the second I ask them to. What am I supposed to tell him? What the hell is he expecting that I call him? Dad? That will never happen! I had my very own version of a father, and she did a damn good job. Okay, I can do that. I can get out of the car and introduce myself before I go and hide in Ma's house for the rest of the night. Would she mind if Adam and I'd stay overnight, too? Probably. This is a private house, not a hotel. I can do this._

"You okay," Adam asked and pulled her out of her train of thought.

She blinked a couple of times and forced herself to smile, opening the passenger's door. "Yeah," she breathed. "Yeah, I'm okay. Come on, let's get this done."

"I'm right behind you, Liz." He said and followed her closely the moment she got out of the car. "You don't have to worry."

 _And I am no child no more_ , she thought and clenched her jaw when they got closer to her mothers and the man. He was a little older than her mothers. He had an olive complexion, curly graying dark brown hair cut short, and dark brown eyes. He was very tall, quite muscular, and was wearing jeans and a black button-up shirt. She took another deep breath and wondered why she suddenly felt nervous. She never felt the need to have a real father, she was having her parents, who did quite a good job, and she had her uncles who had filled the empty space of male influence pretty good. At some point she started to see Frankie more like the father she never had, and Tommy like her brother. Not to mention her cousins Sam and TJ. She stopped abruptly and turned to her husband. "Why am I feeling nervous?" She whispered and frowned.

Adam's eyebrows shot up and he was looking for a good answer. "Perhaps because someone is stepping into your life and probably wants to get to know you. I feel like Maura had have an affair and got pregnant and now you have to face the man she cheated with on Jane."

"Really?"

"I'm kinda nervous, too."

Liz rolled her eyes and swallowed hard the moment she got into the others hearing range, turning to him. "Seriously? You feel like mom cheated?"

He narrowed his eyes and knew immediately that she was stalling for time. "Liz, I can tell him to leave. You don't have to do this."

Liz frowned and placed her hands on his chest like she used to in the past, taking a deep breath. "I have to do this, for Timothy's sake."

He stood still even though his wife started to walk again and furrowed his brows. "Okay."

Jane's face was grim when Liz reached her and she clenched her jaw. "Liz, stay back!" She commanded sharply and the man turned to the younger woman.

Liz swallowed hard because he actually could have been taken for Jane's twin brother, but then she smiled and stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Liz Rizzoli."

He stared at her blankly. "Timothy Rubino."

Liz kept her friendly and yet distant smile. "Nice to meet you. You already picked up with my mothers Dr. Maura Isles and Lieutenant Jane Rizzoli."

Rubino cleared his throat and looked at the older women. "Um, yes. Yes, we already met. Several times to be exact."

She straightened up and shoved her into the pockets of her pants, stepping back. "How can I help you, Mr. Rubino?"

Jane looked at Maura from the corner of her eyes and her lips turned up slightly.

He blinked a couple of times and frowned a bit. "I … uh … I am not here because I want to have something, Elizabeth."

"Detective Rizzoli. Only my family and friends call me by my first name." Liz replied and her tone was sharp. Jane had to fight with herself so she wouldn't start to laugh.

Maura smiled a little and took her wife's hand in her own.

Rubino frowned deeply and shifted from one foot to the other, glancing at Adam who stood closely behind Liz. "Is that your boyfriend. I … I didn't mean to but I saw you both -"

"He's my husband," Liz cut him off sharply and took a deep breath.

Adam shook the other man's hand. "Adam Laverty."

Rubin smiled tight at him. "You're married?"

"I don't think that this is any of your business." Jane stepped in and her face was dark, that dark that the older man took a step back.

Liz placed a hand on her mother's arm and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am." She said calmly and Jane set her jaw. It seemed like she was expecting that Liz would invite the stranger inside the house, and it seemed like Tim was expecting that too because he was glancing every now and then to the house.

He was shaking dramatically and smiled nervously. "It's kinda cold."

"You don't say." The older Italian growled low and the man swallowed hard.

Maura stepped closer to her wife and frowned a little. "Jane, let's get inside."

Jane was freezing as well but she didn't move. "I'm good."

"Jane!" The blonde said warningly and the brunette turned with another deep growl, Winters hot on their heels.

Jane nearly threw her coat on the couch and stated louder, "He has no right to be here!"

Maura glanced apologetically at Winters and sighed heavily, taking Jane's coat off the couch. "I know."

"He is nothing to her, he is not her father. He had more than thirty years to get in touch with Liz but never did that. It'd be easier if he'd have been interested in her for more than just ten minutes. I mean, what does he want? They have nothing in common but DNA."

Maura stepped closer to her wife and looked worriedly at Jane. "Liz can handle him, Jane, she's a grown woman. She can handle Timothy and she is the one to decide if she wants him to be a part of her life from now on. We have no say in it, as much as it hurts right now."

"I'm not so sure that she can handle such a change right now." Jane grumbled and furrowed her brows. "The last time something big in her life changed made her run away."

"That was because she thought that if she'd stay, someone would harm or even kill her family." Winters threw in and the other two women turned to her. Winters swallowed nervously and smiled shyly. "I'm sorry, I know I should stay out of this right now, but I got the chance to get to know Liz very well, I dare to say that she's one of my best friends. And even though she became more aware of the people in her life, I know that she's very passionate about those she cares about and she would never jeopardize their lives in the blink of an eye, she'd rather die before something would happen to you, Dr. Isles or even Detective Laverty. I doubt that this has changed in a couple of months, Lieutenant."

Jane stared at the young woman and knew that Maura was right, and that Winters was right, and she hated it. It was seen in her face.

Maura smiled because Winters words made the brunette shut up and nodded in the direction of the stairs. "I'll show you the guest room and when you are settled, you can come into the living room and join us for a nightcap."

Winters frowned deeply and shook her head. "I can stay on the couch for the night."

Maura took the younger woman at the elbow and led her towards the stairs. "Nonsense, you are not sleeping on the couch when we have a free guest room. And I will tolerate no dissent."

Winters blinked a couple of times with a little frown. "Yes, Ma'am."

Jane walked into the kitchen and huffed, opening the fridge and getting a beer out of it. "Ma'am!"

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Liz rinsed her mouth and straightened up immediately, frowning at her reflection the moment Adam stepped up behind her. She tilted her head a little because he was looking at them as well but kept his hands to himself. "I really missed this," she said with a sigh.

"Brushing your teeth," he asked but kept a straight face.

She resisted the urge to thrust her elbow in the pit of his stomach and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I missed it to brush my teeth for the last five years, Adam. Those are actually my dentures." She smiled when he just shrugged. "You have no idea how many times I looked into the mirror back in San Diego and hopped that you'd step up behind me any moment, telling me that everything would be alright, and in the same moment I knew that it wouldn't happen and I felt empty. I wasn't just alone, I was hollow. I had some people I trusted but it was never like in Boston. I told myself that San Diego was my home now, but it never felt like it because you weren't there, Zane wasn't there, my mothers weren't there. I mean, before I left Boston we had been a lot already, but with you I felt safe from day one. You weren't pushing me for things I didn't want to do, you didn't start to plan a family even though we've been together for just some months. You didn't ask me to move in with you after some weeks. The moment I met you, I knew that you are extraordinary and I could imagine to grow old with you." She furled her brows the second he raised his. "Not the night we met for the first time."

"Thank you," he laughed and stepped a little closer. "For calling me extraordinary. So are you, Liz." He paused and ran his hands over her shoulders, keeping her eyes. "Sure, I was disappointed the moment I realized that you left in the middle of the night, I was angry, I was furious and at some point, I … hoped that you are dead so I could find some closure, and the next second I hated myself for that thought. I told myself to move on, to get over you but I couldn't because I -" He trailed of and kissed her shoulder. "I told you more than once that you are the love of my life, Elizabeth. And that won't change, no matter what you are doing. Maybe I am a little bit like Hanley, I am crazy about you." He saw the fear in her eyes and frowned. "If I have to, I'd kill for you, not because of you. I even would die for you." He pulled her against his front and sighed. "What are you doing because of Tim? Are you keep in touch with him?"

Liz leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I don't know. I don't even know what he wants from me now, or why he suddenly felt the need to get I touch with me. I became wary about strangers, Adam. When mom wouldn't have said that she ran a paternity test, I'd even doubt that he was telling the truth. But mom -"

"I know." He cut her off and she nodded. "I'm surprised that Maura was able to keep that for herself."

She opened her eyes slowly. "She's barely capable of lying, but she's very good at keeping secrets."

Adam smiled a little. "Very true. So, you're not telling Tim that technically he's a grandfather?"

"He's nothing." She replied and frowned deeply. "Neither is he my father nor Zane's grandfather, he's a stranger. I have two wonderful mothers and I turned out quite well. I might did not have a father, but I had Frankie and Tommy, and they were all I needed. Tim had more than thirty years to get to know me, but never cared until today. Now I don't need him either. I never needed him."

"You never wanted to have a … real dad?"

"Maybe in kindergarten and elementary school when there was a family day. That was because the other kids came there with their mothers and fathers and I just had Ma and Mom. And you know yourself, kids can be mean … jabba." She laughed out loud the moment he pinched her side.

"I should have never told you about my issue in my young age." He laughed but then he turned serious again and took a deep breath. "Yeah, kids can say really nasty things. Is that why you turned out to be -"

She waited when he trailed off and narrowed her eyes. "Straight?"

Adam blushed a little. "Look, I know we never really talked about that and I don't care if you … I … it's just -"

"That you don't want to appear narrow-minded but still wonder how it's possible that the daughter of a lesbian couple can turn out straight?"

"It sounds terrible the way you say it. I always thought I'm open-minded"

Liz laughed and turned to face him directly. "You are, and you are not the first person who's wondering that, but I always liked boys and later men. My parents are indeed lesbians but they never tried to turn me into one, too. They told me that I have to figure out for myself what I like that they are going to accept it. Sometimes I really thought that it'd be easier for them that I'd be a lesbian, too, but they indeed accepted me the way I am, in all ways. I knew, and still know, that they love me the way I am. And I don't think they would like it any other way since they know you and since the day their grandson is born."

Adam smiled at her and nodded slowly. "We did good, didn't we?"

Liz pursed her lips and frowned with a smile.

He was fast and kissed her before she could answer. "Don't you dare to say no just because he got the pighead of you."

She nodded proudly. "He's pretty great, yeah. You did good, Adam."

He wished that he could correct her and say that they did it together, raising their son the way he was, and he knew that he made plenty of mistakes and that Maura and Jane helped him more than once, and that he was grateful for their support, beyond grateful. But he also knew that he'd lie if he'd say that Liz was a great help in the last five years. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."

Liz licked her lips and took his hand in her own. "Let's get some sleep."


	11. Chapter 11

Jane sat at the kitchen island and rubbed her throbbing temples, staring down at the steaming mug in front of her. She looked up the second she heard someone coming down the stairs and reached out for Maura when the former doctor rounded the corner.

Maura frowned a little but took the brunette's hand in her own and let herself be pulled to her wife, standing in between Jane's legs. She saw that something was bothering her and that Jane didn't find much sleep last night. She also knew this because she felt Jane tossing and turning and sighing. Maura took a deep breath and ran her fingers through Jane's hair. "Are you still stewing over Timothy's appearance?"

Jane looked up at her and furrowed her brows. "I don't like the fact that he knows where we are living and suddenly thinks that he has the right to be a part of our daughter's life. What has he done in the past for Liz?" She paused and shrugged. "Truth be told, without his … assistance we wouldn't have a daughter at all, but he was just a donor, a number. No more, no less."

"Would it have been okay for you if Tim would have shown interest in Liz when she was younger, still a child?"

The Italian's frown deepened and she shrugged. "Maybe not okay, but back then I could somehow understand it. And perhaps I'd have been okay if he'd have seen her every now and then, with our conditions. But he never made the effort to get in touch with Liz, and it seems like he knew about her back then."

"I wouldn't be so sure because he didn't even get in touch with us, Jane."

Jane nodded slowly and placed her hands on her wife's hips like she was trying to brace herself by the touch. "He was a sperm donor, Maura. I'm sure that he was aware of the fact that there are kids of him on the streets of Boston. If he doesn't have any ulterior motives, what does he want all of a sudden? I mean, he surely knows by now that our family isn't as poor as a church mouse. God knows how long he was lallygagging on our property."

Maura glanced long at the Italian and eased the creases on Jane's forehead. "But that's not the real reason that keeps your mind busy."

Jane didn't answer right away. Instead, she placed her cheek on her wife's belly and shook her head. "No, it isn't." She closed her eyes the second Maura ran her fingers through her hair once again.

"Tell me. What's bothering you, Jane?"

Jane was silent for a moment and heaved a sigh. "Do think that Ben hates us that much that he's even willed to kill our daughter, Maura? I mean, I'd understand if he'd go after me and would try to kill me after I snagged you from him. But why did he try to kill Liz? She wasn't even born when you left him. She doesn't know anything about him, besides the things we told her about Ben. And why trying to frame Liz?"

Maura closed her eyes as well and had to swallow hard. Since she got to know that her ex-husband probably was the mastermind behind all of this and that he probably even tried to kill her daughter. She also wondered what his hate for them was that big that he wouldn't stop at any point until he got to them. "Because he knows that she's our weak spot, Jane. And because he knows that either of us would die for each other. And because he knows that driving her away from us is also a punishment for us."

Jane glanced up at the doctor and the confusion was visible in her eyes. "But why?"

Maura licked her lips and raised her brows. "Because he and I never had what you and I have, Jane. Because he knows that I never loved him the way I love you. Because I never gave him the chance to have a family with me as you have."

"So, it's our fault," Jane asked and held her wife tighter. "It is, isn't it?" She didn't need to hear Maura confirming it, she knew that she was right and that even Maura was blaming herself for what their actions in the past had done to their daughter. "I wouldn't change anything, even if I'd know what consequences would be ahead of us."

The blonde heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Me neither, Jane."

"Does this make us selfish?"

"I'm afraid yes."

"Do you think that Liz can forgive us?"

Maura rounded the kitchen island after Jane released her and poured herself a cup of coffee. "If she finds out what all this is about, she's going to be mad, for a very long time but she'll come around. We just have to give her the space she needs."

"And are we going to tell her?"

"Yes."

"Great." Jane grumbled and sipped her already cold coffee, making a face. "But first she's going to explain why she hasn't mntioned that she was supposed for the FBI."

Maura straightened up and rolled her eyes when her wife still drank her cold coffee and wiggled her brows. "Perhaps she didn't mention it because all of us know that you are not very fond of the FBI, just like the IA."

It was Jane's turn to roll her eyes and she lowered the mug again, getting up from her chair. "Just because I don't come to terms with FEDS and IA officers it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be more than proud of Liz, Maura. I mean, it's a big deal and I really like to know why she didn't take the offer." She turned her head the moment the front door got opened and ignored the warningly look of the former ME, saying out loud, "Speaking of the devil."

Puck just ran into her direction and nearly knocked her over by jumping at her. Jane grinned widely and scratched him between the ears.

Liz was about to put her coat off when she rounded the corner and frowned a little. "What have I done this time?"

Adam grunted in amusement and was glad that they stopped first at Maura's before they'd pick up their son. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Jane isn't trying to kill you in jig time." He grunted the second he felt an elbow thrust into his stomach. "Okay," he gasped and cleared his throat, Maura rolled her eyes once again.

Liz ignored both of them and looked directly at the older Italian. "Okay, what's up?"

Jane shrugged and turned the corners of her mouth downward. "I just wondered why you didn't tell us that the FBI wanted you to work for them."

Adam's eyebrows shot up. "You were supposed to do what?"

Liz ignored his question and groaned. "Eddie can't zip it, can she?"

Maura braced herself on the countertop and looked long at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell us about it?"

"Because it's no big deal."

"Oh, it sure is, kid." Jane countered and the eyes of Liz shot to her. "And don't even think about to soft-pedal it."

Maura handed Adam a cup of coffee and frowned at him. "She didn't tell you about it, too?"

He took the mug and shook his head. "No."

Liz licked her lips and furrowed her brows. "Because it was bad timing when they came to me and offered me a job, Ma. Maybe, if nothing of all of this would have happened, I'd get the same offer, I might have said yes. No, I am sure of it because it means that all of you had been a great teacher, in your very own ways. I learned so much from each of you, and that's what called the FEDS attention to myself. But I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego and the knowledge that someone was after I didn't help either. That's something you don't write into your CV."

"Of course not." Maura agreed and wiggled her brows when the two brunettes looked at her. "So, you gave away a great opportunity."

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. As I already said, I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego or if I would ever get my life back, or for how long -" She trailed off and looked long at her husband. "For now I'd stay alive before I'd be screwed. I mean, somehow, I knew that it would be just a matter of time until they would get me." She looked down at her dog who was suddenly sitting at her feet and took a deep breath. "And as we all know, they came damn close to killing me."

Jane clenched her jaw and her fists as well but didn't say a word because she knew that her daughter was right and that there was no way to downplay it.

Maura swallowed hard and licked her lips, closing her eyes for a moment before she walked around the kitchen island and pulled her daughter into a hug without a second thought. She expected that Liz would try to wriggle out of it but smiled when the younger woman returned the hug. "Now you're safe, Elizabeth." She whispered into her daughter's ear and a tear ran down Liz' cheek. "Now you don't have to run anymore."

"Yeah," Jane agreed with a grim face. "Now a bunch of cops has your back who happens to be your family." She said and stepped closer. She pulled Liz' into a tight hug the second her wife let go of the young woman and said into her ear. "And nobody's messing with the Rizzoli family."

Liz broke the hug and nodded, wiping the tear off her cheek. She looked at each of them and then she suddenly started to laugh for no reason, shaking her head.

Jane smirked but frowned. "is there anything else we should know about? A new husband?"

"Hey." Adam objected seriously and the former ME chuckled.

"A love child?"

Maura laughed heartily when she saw the look of her son-in-law.

Liz grinned amused and nodded slowly. "Yes, I have some. Actually, a whole football team."

"Wait, what," Adam asked after he choked on his coffee and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I was just kidding." Liz laughed amused. She took a deep breath and glanced in the direction of the stairs. "Where's Eddie? She's actually an early bird."

"I noticed that," Jane grumbled and placed her mug in the sink. "I nearly beat the crap out of her when I came down earlier and found her sitting on the couch, only the reading light on. She was just as surprised as me when I nearly knocked said reading light over her head."

"You didn't do that."

"I thought she was an intruder."

"An intruder who breaks into your house, sits down on the couch and reads a book," Adam asked skeptically and Liz pointed at him.

"Hey," Jane replied louder with a frown. "It was dark and I am older, my eyes aren't as good as they were twenty years ago."

Liz scoffed and Adam raised his hands in surrender. "So, where's Eddie now?"

"She said she wanted to go back to her hotel and get a shower. She'll give you a call later."

"Did you write this down," Maura asked and smirked the second Jane scowled at her. "You brought up your age."

"You're not getting any younger, too." The Italian hissed through clenched teeth but her wife chuckled.

Liz grinned and walked over to her husband. "I really can watch this for hours."

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, it's so much better than any reality show. Sometimes I came here and watched them battering for hours. And it's for free."

Liz smirked and wiggled her brows.

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Leslie is sitting at her desk and turns around the moment she feels a well-known present, smiling broadly as soon as she sees Liz standing behind her, holding two paper cups in her hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The other woman smiles broadly and enters the command center. "Can't I pay my friend a visit?"

Leslie takes one up the cups and quirks an eyebrow. "You never came down to Operations. What are you doing here, Liz?"

The brunette huffs and places her elbows on her knees as soon as she sits down on a free chair, frowning. "I need you to do me a favor, Leslie." She closes her eyes when the redhead looks skeptically at her. Liz rolls her eyes and her frown deepens. "I know, I owe you a lot and I am not in the position to ask for more, but every time I think about my next step I understand that I need your help because you are way better with computers than I am."

Leslie is about to take a sip of her coffee but stops dead. "I know that I am better with computers than you are. You are really good, Liz, but at some things, I have to be better than you."

Liz smirked mischievously and knew that her friend has taken the bait.

"You know what I need from you, Rizzoli."

The smirk disappeared from Liz' face again and she was scratching the back of her head. "Here's the problem. I need you to hack into the computer on the ground, Leslie. I don't know how much data you can get if you do it from Boston."

"What does on the ground mean?"

"San Diego."

"I have a son and a husband who are waiting for me at home, Liz." Leslie hisses through clenched teeth and furls her brows.

"They'll survive a week without you."

"You have no idea."

Liz straightened up again and chuckled with a nod. "Oh, yeah. I have an idea."

Leslie rolled her eyes and chuckled as well. "Why don't you ask Adam for this?" The smirk reappeared on her face the second she saw the glint in Liz' eyes. "The good old days."

The brunette nodded slowly with a broad smile. "The good old days. Can I count on you?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." The other woman replied and leaned back in her chair. "Whose computer are we going to hack?"

"Ben Payton's."

The redhead choked on her coffee and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Are you kidding me?"

Liz shook her head and got back up to her feet. "Nope, I'm dead serious. We're taking the offensive now. I'm sick and tired of playing hide and seek, Leslie."

Leslie nodded slowly and furrowed her brows. "It's about time, sister."

"You're in?"

"You can bet."

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Adam came into the kitchen and groaned loudly. "That little monster is finally sleeping." He said and wiped his hands in his sweats. "I really have no clue what is wrong with him these days."

Liz turned her head and smirks. "Why?"

"Our son asked for you to put him to bed even though he refuses it thirty minutes ago." He paused and frowned. "Have you hit your head hard against something and got a concussion?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He took the beer from her hand and sipped it. "You know that we don't need Leslie for our next step, right?"

"I need her there." Liz replied and took her beer back. "She and Chaz were the only persons I really trusted when all of this started." She sees his hurt look and pulls him closer at the cord of his sweats. "Hey, don't look like that. You were the one who put me behind bars, that was not really encouraging."

"I was only following orders." He whined and frowned when she pulled him even closer.

She ran her hands underneath his shirt and smiled softly. "I am only saying that I trust Leslie and Chaz and that I need you as my back up. And you have some glib reply when you have to distract Ben when push comes to shove."

"You are using me as a kind of distraction. I'm sure that he'd rather jump on you if you are distracting him instead of me."

She's rolled her eyes but smirked. "I'm not sure you'd agree with the way I'd distract him, Adam."

Adam grinned but the next second he turned his nose up. "I didn't need that picture in my head."

Liz chuckled and sipped her beer. "Me neither."

"He's old."

"You are not what I'd call young either."

"He's much older than me. And what does that supposed to mean anyway?"

She smiled and took another swig from her beer. "It means that were way younger when I got to know you. And yet, you haven't changed that much." She was wishing that she could shove those words back into her mouth because Adam quirked an eyebrow.

Puck was lying in his bed and his head snapped up the moment he senses the change of atmosphere. It seems like the Belgian shepherd was ready to attack her at any moment if necessary, licking his muzzle.

Adam rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Well, it appears that you are still as stubborn as a mule and that you hate to ask for help even though you know that you need it. And the thing is that you know that you need help but you just can't pocket your pride."

Liz let the words sink in and pressed her lips together, sighing heavily. "I thought those are qualities you love about me."

He smiled softly at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I do. I really do, but sometimes those qualities also can be very frustrating. I mean -" He stopped and shook his head. "I mean, instead of telling me that someone was coming after you, you left without a note instead. I wondered if I wasn't a good husband, if I pushed my limits too hard and that you couldn't take it anymore. Instead of telling me that you were working for Winters in San Diego you kept pushing me away. Instead of telling me that you had nothing to do with the murder you kept -"

"Whoa," She cut him off and got up to her feet, walking to the fridge to get a new beer. "stop right there, Laverty. I told you more than once that I am innocent and that someone is framing me, but you didn't listen to me. For you, I was guilty because I was found beside a dead body and a badly beaten up Chaz. It was clear for you that I cut my wrists to escape justice."

"That's not true." Adam countered and leaned with his hip against the kitchen island. "I told you more than once that I was just doing my job and I won't apologize for that. And you weren't really cooperating with us. Arresting you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. Knowing that you are in Boston and I couldn't be with you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. I was working 24/7 to figure out what happened that night and you did not answer any of those questions."

"Perhaps that's because I couldn't remember." The brunette shot back and her face darkened.

Adam prick up his ears and he tilted his head a little. "Do you remember now? Do you remember what happened the night Danielson got killed?"

Liz was clenching her jaw and closed her eyes for the split of a second, knowing that it was about time to tell him what she remembered, or what she thought to remember. She shook her head now. "I'm not sure, Adam. I'm not sure what's real and what's not. Hell, I'm not even sure if this, right now is real."

"Liz -" He said softly but shut his mouth the moment she shot him a glare.

She took a moment before she continued, "I'm not sure that I am not still in the hospital, drugged to the eyeballs and strapped to my bed. I am not sure if any of this isn't just in my head to shut me out from reality, Adam." She pauses for a second. "I have dreams, Adam. I have dreams that I am still in the hospital and that you think that I killed Danielson and that you and Frankie are about to convict me of murder. These dreams feel so real, and this life right now feels more like a dream. So, it's very hard for me to tell what is real and what's not."

Adam blinked a couple of times and took his time before he replies. "I can hit you in the head to show you that this is the very reality." He smirked because that statement made his wife laugh out loud, shrugging. "Or I can pinch you hard."

She smirked now too and took a swig from the fresh beer. "Sometimes it'd be really necessary."

He nodded slowly. "Are you going to tell me what you remember, or what you think you remember?"

Liz took a deep breath and shook her head. "Not tonight. Tonight, I only want to sit down on the couch, I want you to hold me and not to think about anything else than the here and now."

He smiled softly and reached out for her hand and she took it, following him to the living room. "Yeah, sounds good to me. We have enough time to talk about work anyway."

Liz sighed and nodded. "Yes, we have."

I really hope we do, she thought to herself but keeps her mouth shut.


	12. Chapter 12

Jane sat at the kitchen island and rubbed her throbbing temples, staring down at the steaming mug in front of her. She looked up the second she heard someone coming down the stairs and reached out for Maura when the former doctor rounded the corner.

Maura frowned a little but took the brunette's hand in her own and let herself be pulled to her wife, standing in between Jane's legs. She saw that something was bothering her and that Jane didn't find much sleep last night. She also knew this because she felt Jane tossing and turning and sighing. Maura took a deep breath and ran her fingers through Jane's hair. "Are you still stewing over Timothy's appearance?"

Jane looked up at her and furrowed her brows. "I don't like the fact that he knows where we are living and suddenly thinks that he has the right to be a part of our daughter's life. What has he done in the past for Liz?" She paused and shrugged. "Truth be told, without his … assistance we wouldn't have a daughter at all, but he was just a donor, a number. No more, no less."

"Would it have been okay for you if Tim would have shown interest in Liz when she was younger, still a child?"

The Italian's frown deepened and she shrugged. "Maybe not okay, but back then I could somehow understand it. And perhaps I'd have been okay if he'd have seen her every now and then, with our conditions. But he never made the effort to get in touch with Liz, and it seems like he knew about her back then."

"I wouldn't be so sure because he didn't even get in touch with us, Jane."

Jane nodded slowly and placed her hands on her wife's hips like she was trying to brace herself by the touch. "He was a sperm donor, Maura. I'm sure that he was aware of the fact that there are kids of him on the streets of Boston. If he doesn't have any ulterior motives, what does he want all of a sudden? I mean, he surely knows by now that our family isn't as poor as a church mouse. God knows how long he was lallygagging on our property."

Maura glanced long at the Italian and eased the creases on Jane's forehead. "But that's not the real reason that keeps your mind busy."

Jane didn't answer right away. Instead, she placed her cheek on her wife's belly and shook her head. "No, it isn't." She closed her eyes the second Maura ran her fingers through her hair once again.

"Tell me. What's bothering you, Jane?"

Jane was silent for a moment and heaved a sigh. "Do think that Ben hates us that much that he's even willed to kill our daughter, Maura? I mean, I'd understand if he'd go after me and would try to kill me after I snagged you from him. But why did he try to kill Liz? She wasn't even born when you left him. She doesn't know anything about him, besides the things we told her about Ben. And why trying to frame Liz?"

Maura closed her eyes as well and had to swallow hard. Since she got to know that her ex-husband probably was the mastermind behind all of this and that he probably even tried to kill her daughter. She also wondered what his hate for them was that big that he wouldn't stop at any point until he got to them. "Because he knows that she's our weak spot, Jane. And because he knows that either of us would die for each other. And because he knows that driving her away from us is also a punishment for us."

Jane glanced up at the doctor and the confusion was visible in her eyes. "But why?"

Maura licked her lips and raised her brows. "Because he and I never had what you and I have, Jane. Because he knows that I never loved him the way I love you. Because I never gave him the chance to have a family with me as you have."

"So, it's our fault," Jane asked and held her wife tighter. "It is, isn't it?" She didn't need to hear Maura confirming it, she knew that she was right and that even Maura was blaming herself for what their actions in the past had done to their daughter. "I wouldn't change anything, even if I'd know what consequences would be ahead of us."

The blonde heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Me neither, Jane."

"Does this make us selfish?"

"I'm afraid yes."

"Do you think that Liz can forgive us?"

Maura rounded the kitchen island after Jane released her and poured herself a cup of coffee. "If she finds out what all this is about, she's going to be mad, for a very long time but she'll come around. We just have to give her the space she needs."

"And are we going to tell her?"

"Yes."

"Great." Jane grumbled and sipped her already cold coffee, making a face. "But first she's going to explain why she hasn't mntioned that she was supposed for the FBI."

Maura straightened up and rolled her eyes when her wife still drank her cold coffee and wiggled her brows. "Perhaps she didn't mention it because all of us know that you are not very fond of the FBI, just like the IA."

It was Jane's turn to roll her eyes and she lowered the mug again, getting up from her chair. "Just because I don't come to terms with FEDS and IA officers it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be more than proud of Liz, Maura. I mean, it's a big deal and I really like to know why she didn't take the offer." She turned her head the moment the front door got opened and ignored the warningly look of the former ME, saying out loud, "Speaking of the devil."

Puck just ran into her direction and nearly knocked her over by jumping at her. Jane grinned widely and scratched him between the ears.

Liz was about to put her coat off when she rounded the corner and frowned a little. "What have I done this time?"

Adam grunted in amusement and was glad that they stopped first at Maura's before they'd pick up their son. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Jane isn't trying to kill you in jig time." He grunted the second he felt an elbow thrust into his stomach. "Okay," he gasped and cleared his throat, Maura rolled her eyes once again.

Liz ignored both of them and looked directly at the older Italian. "Okay, what's up?"

Jane shrugged and turned the corners of her mouth downward. "I just wondered why you didn't tell us that the FBI wanted you to work for them."

Adam's eyebrows shot up. "You were supposed to do what?"

Liz ignored his question and groaned. "Eddie can't zip it, can she?"

Maura braced herself on the countertop and looked long at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell us about it?"

"Because it's no big deal."

"Oh, it sure is, kid." Jane countered and the eyes of Liz shot to her. "And don't even think about to soft-pedal it."

Maura handed Adam a cup of coffee and frowned at him. "She didn't tell you about it, too?"

He took the mug and shook his head. "No."

Liz licked her lips and furrowed her brows. "Because it was bad timing when they came to me and offered me a job, Ma. Maybe, if nothing of all of this would have happened, I'd get the same offer, I might have said yes. No, I am sure of it because it means that all of you had been a great teacher, in your very own ways. I learned so much from each of you, and that's what called the FEDS attention to myself. But I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego and the knowledge that someone was after I didn't help either. That's something you don't write into your CV."

"Of course not." Maura agreed and wiggled her brows when the two brunettes looked at her. "So, you gave away a great opportunity."

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. As I already said, I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego or if I would ever get my life back, or for how long -" She trailed off and looked long at her husband. "For now I'd stay alive before I'd be screwed. I mean, somehow, I knew that it would be just a matter of time until they would get me." She looked down at her dog who was suddenly sitting at her feet and took a deep breath. "And as we all know, they came damn close to killing me."

Jane clenched her jaw and her fists as well but didn't say a word because she knew that her daughter was right and that there was no way to downplay it.

Maura swallowed hard and licked her lips, closing her eyes for a moment before she walked around the kitchen island and pulled her daughter into a hug without a second thought. She expected that Liz would try to wriggle out of it but smiled when the younger woman returned the hug. "Now you're safe, Elizabeth." She whispered into her daughter's ear and a tear ran down Liz' cheek. "Now you don't have to run anymore."

"Yeah," Jane agreed with a grim face. "Now a bunch of cops has your back who happens to be your family." She said and stepped closer. She pulled Liz' into a tight hug the second her wife let go of the young woman and said into her ear. "And nobody's messing with the Rizzoli family."

Liz broke the hug and nodded, wiping the tear off her cheek. She looked at each of them and then she suddenly started to laugh for no reason, shaking her head.

Jane smirked but frowned. "is there anything else we should know about? A new husband?"

"Hey." Adam objected seriously and the former ME chuckled.

"A love child?"

Maura laughed heartily when she saw the look of her son-in-law.

Liz grinned amused and nodded slowly. "Yes, I have some. Actually, a whole football team."

"Wait, what," Adam asked after he choked on his coffee and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I was just kidding." Liz laughed amused. She took a deep breath and glanced in the direction of the stairs. "Where's Eddie? She's actually an early bird."

"I noticed that," Jane grumbled and placed her mug in the sink. "I nearly beat the crap out of her when I came down earlier and found her sitting on the couch, only the reading light on. She was just as surprised as me when I nearly knocked said reading light over her head."

"You didn't do that."

"I thought she was an intruder."

"An intruder who breaks into your house, sits down on the couch and reads a book," Adam asked skeptically and Liz pointed at him.

"Hey," Jane replied louder with a frown. "It was dark and I am older, my eyes aren't as good as they were twenty years ago."

Liz scoffed and Adam raised his hands in surrender. "So, where's Eddie now?"

"She said she wanted to go back to her hotel and get a shower. She'll give you a call later."

"Did you write this down," Maura asked and smirked the second Jane scowled at her. "You brought up your age."

"You're not getting any younger, too." The Italian hissed through clenched teeth but her wife chuckled.

Liz grinned and walked over to her husband. "I really can watch this for hours."

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, it's so much better than any reality show. Sometimes I came here and watched them battering for hours. And it's for free."

Liz smirked and wiggled her brows.

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Leslie is sitting at her desk and turns around the moment she feels a well-known present, smiling broadly as soon as she sees Liz standing behind her, holding two paper cups in her hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The other woman smiles broadly and enters the command center. "Can't I pay my friend a visit?"

Leslie takes one up the cups and quirks an eyebrow. "You never came down to Operations. What are you doing here, Liz?"

The brunette huffs and places her elbows on her knees as soon as she sits down on a free chair, frowning. "I need you to do me a favor, Leslie." She closes her eyes when the redhead looks skeptically at her. Liz rolls her eyes and her frown deepens. "I know, I owe you a lot and I am not in the position to ask for more, but every time I think about my next step I understand that I need your help because you are way better with computers than I am."

Leslie is about to take a sip of her coffee but stops dead. "I know that I am better with computers than you are. You are really good, Liz, but at some things, I have to be better than you."

Liz smirked mischievously and knew that her friend has taken the bait.

"You know what I need from you, Rizzoli."

The smirk disappeared from Liz' face again and she was scratching the back of her head. "Here's the problem. I need you to hack into the computer on the ground, Leslie. I don't know how much data you can get if you do it from Boston."

"What does on the ground mean?"

"San Diego."

"I have a son and a husband who are waiting for me at home, Liz." Leslie hisses through clenched teeth and furls her brows.

"They'll survive a week without you."

"You have no idea."

Liz straightened up again and chuckled with a nod. "Oh, yeah. I have an idea."

Leslie rolled her eyes and chuckled as well. "Why don't you ask Adam for this?" The smirk reappeared on her face the second she saw the glint in Liz' eyes. "The good old days."

The brunette nodded slowly with a broad smile. "The good old days. Can I count on you?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." The other woman replied and leaned back in her chair. "Whose computer are we going to hack?"

"Ben Payton's."

The redhead choked on her coffee and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Are you kidding me?"

Liz shook her head and got back up to her feet. "Nope, I'm dead serious. We're taking the offensive now. I'm sick and tired of playing hide and seek, Leslie."

Leslie nodded slowly and furrowed her brows. "It's about time, sister."

"You're in?"

"You can bet."

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Adam came into the kitchen and groaned loudly. "That little monster is finally sleeping." He said and wiped his hands in his sweats. "I really have no clue what is wrong with him these days."

Liz turned her head and smirks. "Why?"

"Our son asked for you to put him to bed even though he refuses it thirty minutes ago." He paused and frowned. "Have you hit your head hard against something and got a concussion?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He took the beer from her hand and sipped it. "You know that we don't need Leslie for our next step, right?"

"I need her there." Liz replied and took her beer back. "She and Chaz were the only persons I really trusted when all of this started." She sees his hurt look and pulls him closer at the cord of his sweats. "Hey, don't look like that. You were the one who put me behind bars, that was not really encouraging."

"I was only following orders." He whined and frowned when she pulled him even closer.

She ran her hands underneath his shirt and smiled softly. "I am only saying that I trust Leslie and Chaz and that I need you as my back up. And you have some glib reply when you have to distract Ben when push comes to shove."

"You are using me as a kind of distraction. I'm sure that he'd rather jump on you if you are distracting him instead of me."

She's rolled her eyes but smirked. "I'm not sure you'd agree with the way I'd distract him, Adam."

Adam grinned but the next second he turned his nose up. "I didn't need that picture in my head."

Liz chuckled and sipped her beer. "Me neither."

"He's old."

"You are not what I'd call young either."

"He's much older than me. And what does that supposed to mean anyway?"

She smiled and took another swig from her beer. "It means that were way younger when I got to know you. And yet, you haven't changed that much." She was wishing that she could shove those words back into her mouth because Adam quirked an eyebrow.

Puck was lying in his bed and his head snapped up the moment he senses the change of atmosphere. It seems like the Belgian shepherd was ready to attack her at any moment if necessary, licking his muzzle.

Adam rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Well, it appears that you are still as stubborn as a mule and that you hate to ask for help even though you know that you need it. And the thing is that you know that you need help but you just can't pocket your pride."

Liz let the words sink in and pressed her lips together, sighing heavily. "I thought those are qualities you love about me."

He smiled softly at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I do. I really do, but sometimes those qualities also can be very frustrating. I mean -" He stopped and shook his head. "I mean, instead of telling me that someone was coming after you, you left without a note instead. I wondered if I wasn't a good husband, if I pushed my limits too hard and that you couldn't take it anymore. Instead of telling me that you were working for Winters in San Diego you kept pushing me away. Instead of telling me that you had nothing to do with the murder you kept -"

"Whoa," She cut him off and got up to her feet, walking to the fridge to get a new beer. "stop right there, Laverty. I told you more than once that I am innocent and that someone is framing me, but you didn't listen to me. For you, I was guilty because I was found beside a dead body and a badly beaten up Chaz. It was clear for you that I cut my wrists to escape justice."

"That's not true." Adam countered and leaned with his hip against the kitchen island. "I told you more than once that I was just doing my job and I won't apologize for that. And you weren't really cooperating with us. Arresting you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. Knowing that you are in Boston and I couldn't be with you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. I was working 24/7 to figure out what happened that night and you did not answer any of those questions."

"Perhaps that's because I couldn't remember." The brunette shot back and her face darkened.

Adam prick up his ears and he tilted his head a little. "Do you remember now? Do you remember what happened the night Danielson got killed?"

Liz was clenching her jaw and closed her eyes for the split of a second, knowing that it was about time to tell him what she remembered, or what she thought to remember. She shook her head now. "I'm not sure, Adam. I'm not sure what's real and what's not. Hell, I'm not even sure if this, right now is real."

"Liz -" He said softly but shut his mouth the moment she shot him a glare.

She took a moment before she continued, "I'm not sure that I am not still in the hospital, drugged to the eyeballs and strapped to my bed. I am not sure if any of this isn't just in my head to shut me out from reality, Adam." She pauses for a second. "I have dreams, Adam. I have dreams that I am still in the hospital and that you think that I killed Danielson and that you and Frankie are about to convict me of murder. These dreams feel so real, and this life right now feels more like a dream. So, it's very hard for me to tell what is real and what's not."

Adam blinked a couple of times and took his time before he replies. "I can hit you in the head to show you that this is the very reality." He smirked because that statement made his wife laugh out loud, shrugging. "Or I can pinch you hard."

She smirked now too and took a swig from the fresh beer. "Sometimes it'd be really necessary."

He nodded slowly. "Are you going to tell me what you remember, or what you think you remember?"

Liz took a deep breath and shook her head. "Not tonight. Tonight, I only want to sit down on the couch, I want you to hold me and not to think about anything else than the here and now."

He smiled softly and reached out for her hand and she took it, following him to the living room. "Yeah, sounds good to me. We have enough time to talk about work anyway."

Liz sighed and nodded. "Yes, we have."

I really hope we do, she thought to herself but keeps her mouth shut.


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh, my goodness! Has it really been that long since I last updated this story? I hope that there are still some readers with me. I revised all chapters and corrected some significant mistakes. Perhaps I'll repeat some topics in this chapter, though.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like this update and share your thoughts with me.**

 **See ya soon,**

 **T73** **.**

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A little time had passed and the whole situation had calmed down a little.

Yes, Jane and Maura had even managed to re-establish a closer relationship with their long-lost daughter, but the two older women had also realized that it would never be the same again like the relationship they had before Liz left Boston in the dead of the night without leaving a single note.

Jane could understand in a certain way why her only daughter had simply disappeared to protect her family.

The former detective would probably have done the same but it wouldn't have taken her five years to reappear out of nowhere.

„Jane, what's going on in the head of yours," Maura wanted to know while she was packing a moving box.

The brunette straightened up and frowned deeply. „I just wonder why you volunteered us to get the rest of Liz' stuff from San Diego."

Maura also frowned and bit her lip which caused Jane to quirk an eyebrow.

„Spit it, woman!"

Maura rolled her eyes and straightened up, too. „I just wanted Elizabeth and Adam to reconnect."

„I think they've reconnected several times since Liz is back," Jane grumbled and went back to pack the books in the bookshelf. She flinched when something hit her back and she turned to her wife just to see that the blonde scowled at her. „Ow!" In fact, the scatter cushion hadn't caused her any pain. „That wasn't very nice of you."

„Don't be pathetic!"

„Excuse me," Jane replied and rolled dramatically her shoulders.

Maura grinned broadly and took a deep breath.

The brunette lifted the heavy box and carried it to those who were already standing at the front door, groaning. „I can't understand why our daughter still has so many things in California."

Maura took a deep breath and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. „How long did you keep your apartment after we got together?"

„That was different?"

„Why?"

Jane went to the fridge and hoped she'd find some cool water in it. „Because ... Because I didn't know if you'd go back to Ben after he begged you doing so on his knees." She knew that it was a really lame excuse. She rolled her eyes and growled low. „Yeah, I know that leaving an apartment empty for more than half a year wasn't exactly my best idea, but I had my reasons. What if you and I wouldn't have worked out?" She tugged in her chin and lowered her brows. „I had those thoughts then. And why am I -" She stopped abruptly and her left hand flew to her left hip out of sheer habit as she heard someone shoving a key into the door lock. Even Maura was immediately on high alert and walked several steps towards her wife.

The door opened and a tall dark-haired man entered the apartment. He stopped dead the moment he spotted the two women. „Who are you and what are you doing in this apartment?"

Jane frowned and pointed at the blonde. „We are the parents of the owner and we get her things to Boston. And who the hell are you?"

Suddenly the mood in the room changed completely and the stranger approached the former detective with a broad smile, reaching out his hand. „My name is Eduardo Russo, the owner's boyfriend. I'm happy to finally meet you, Liz has talked a lot about you two."

Maura gasped in horror but shook Russo' hand without saying a word. It didn't matter how shocked she was at the woman, she hadn't forgotten her good manners.

Jane, on the other hand, shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and furrowed her brows. „Your Liz' boyfriend?"

He dropped his hand and cleared his throat. „Yes, Ma'am."

Jane scoffed and looked dark at her wife. „I wonder what Adam's gonna say about that."

Maura closed her eyes slowly and sighed heavily.

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Liz had to grin widely when Zane climbed on her lap and showed her proudly the picture that he had painted in the last hour. It showed the boy, Adam and her when they had been in the park today.

She ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek with a loud smack.

He giggled and leaned against her. „Will you now stay with us, Mama?"

Liz furrowed her brows and held her breath for a second. She wondered how he had come up with the idea that she'd leave her family again.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him and kissed the top of his head. „Yes, baby. I'm gonna stay with you. I will never leave you again. I promise you."

The boy turned a little so he could glance at her insistently. „Did you miss me?"

Liz smiled sadly and nodded slowly. „Every single second of the day when I couldn't be with you. Zane. I ... I thought about you when I woke up and you were the last thought when I went to bed. I missed you so much, honey."

Zane looked long at her before he straightened up a little and wrapped his little arms around her neck. „I missed you too, Mama."

The young woman closed her eyes briefly and had to suppress her tears, but then she felt the presence of another person and looked into the eyes of her husband.

Adam took a deep breath and glanced at his watch. „The plane in which your parents are lands in an hour. I can pick them up alone at the airport."

She furrowed her brows and mouthed, „Thank you." She looked at her son with a smile but frowned. „How about we go and get some ice cream?"

Zane beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

Liz put him down on the floor and nodded once. „Go and put on your shoes and bring me your jacket."

The boy took off without warning and almost ran into his father.

Liz rolled her eyes but laughed as she slowly stood up and walked towards Adam.

Adam smiled but there was a certain sadness in his blue eyes. „Zane asked for you every day."

The young woman pressed her lips together and sighed. „What did you tell him?"

He sighed loudly and set his jaw for a moment. „That you'll come home when the time is right."

Liz closed the distance and wrapped her arms around the tall detective. She placed her ear over his heart and listened to his steady heartbeat, the heartbeat she had missed all these years. „I'm so sorry, Adam," she whispered emphatically and closed her eyes. „I can understand it when you despise me or think that I'm an ice-cold bitch. Sometimes I think that about myself."

„I don't despise you and I don't think you're a cold bitch either, otherwise I wouldn't be here with you. I wouldn't have gotten involved with you again, Liz. But I have to admit -" He trailed off and she glanced up. „But I have to admit that I'm scared of you breaking my heart again and that you disappear. After you were gone without leaving a message I wondered over and over again what I'd done wrong and at some point, I started to believe that I would never see you alive again. I thought that some morgue would call me some time to get me there to identify your body. This thought kept me awake every night, I couldn't sleep because I was waiting for this call."

„I'm so sorry," she whispered once more in a husky voice and frowned.

He nodded slowly and took a deep breath as he trailed her face with his fingers. „I know."

Adam lowered his head and kissed his wife long.

„Yuck," someone suddenly said.

Liz broke the kiss and smirked before turning her head to her son. „Ready to go?"

Zane nodded and went with his jacket with his mother. „Yep."

The young father rolled his eyes and shook his head. „Shall I drop you guys off somewhere?"

Liz helped her son into the jacket and glanced at with furrowed brows. „Nah, I'm borrowing Ma's car."

The detective blinked several times and frowned. „Jane will be thrilled."

„I know," the young woman laughed and shrugged amused.

Adam scoffed and followed her and Zane toward the front door.

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„I'm not sure it was right that we told Adam about Eduardo," Maura stated and folded the blanket back.

Jane's face was unreadable and wiggled her brows. „And I would've found it wrong if we hadn't told Adam about the guy in San Diego. What if this Russo would suddenly show up in Boston and smother Liz with kisses? Would you like it if a woman from my past suddenly shows up and kiss me right in front of you?"

Maura stopped dead and frowned. „There are no women from your past I don't know about."

„Exactly!"

„What if this was the straw to break the camel's back?"

Jane pulled her tank top over her head and sighed. „You know I love our daughter idolatrously and that I would never sabotage any of her relationships."

„Oh? What about Hanley?"

„Hanley's a psychopath, Maura. I sensed from the beginning that something was wrong with him."

„And Adam? Why did you freak out when Liz told us that she was dating the new detective?"

The Italian opened her mouth but closed it again a second later. She frowned and searched for a good answer. „I did not freak out, I wasn't excited that she was dating another colleague. And besides, Adam hasn't turned out to be a cop killer, has he?"

Maura scoffed and lay down on her side of the bed. „And what if she's only committed to him because of Zane?"

Jane was about to turn off her bedside lamp and stopped dead. „Why would you say that?"

Maura sighed heavily and turned her head to her wife. „There are couples who are falling out of love over time, Jane."

Jane slipped underneath the blanket and frowns. „Yes, I know. My parents were the perfect example. Is there anything you're trying to tell me, Maura?"

Maura chuckled and skidded closer to her wife. „You know that I love you, and only you, 'til death, do us part,"

Jane smirked broadly and kissed the blonde tenderly. „I know. I love you too, Maura."

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Adam was lying on his side of the bed and stared at Liz with a deep frown, his arms pressed tightly to his sides so he wouldn't reach out. „Who's Eduardo Russo?"

Liz stared back at him and didn't move a bit. „He was the one who was supposed to recruit me for the FBI after the agency contacted Winters."

„What does he mean to you?"

„Nothing."

„That's why introduced himself to your mothers as your boyfriend?"

„Adam, it's complicated," the young woman whispered back.

He shook his head and set his jaw. „No, it's not."

Liz licked her lips and inhaled deeply. „He was a ... distraction back in San Diego."

„You lived together," the detective wanted to know, and Liz closed her eyes briefly.

„Yes."

He took a brief moment and still stared at her. „You lived together. Why did you lie to me when I asked you if have been with someone else?"

She shook her head and shrugged with a painful smile on her lips. „Would you have reacted differently?"

He swallowed down his upcoming anger. „Don't dodge my question, Elizabeth."

She licked her lips once more and sighed. „Because I didn't want to hurt you any more than you already are."

His facial muscles twitched with anger. „So you'd rather lie to me instead of telling me that you fucked your FBI recruiter?"

Liz exhaled shakily. „I am so sorry, Adam."

Adam closed his eyes with furled brows. „Stop saying that you're sorry."

She wanted to reach out but instead, she skidded closer to the hurt man. „I ... I never stopped loving you, Adam, but when I lived in San Diego ... I didn't feel the same for Russo as I do for you. You have to believe me."

„But you liked him?"

„It was just sex," she replied and swallowed hard as her husband stopped breathing. „I never told Russo that I'd like him or that I'd love him. Hell, I haven't even said his first name. Russo had lived an hour and a half from his office and I didn't want to be alone anymore, so I suggested that he stay with me for some time."

„So you got the rent in kind?"

Liz sighed again and nodded slowly. „Kinda."

Adam snorted and his face darkened. „Great." He paused and pressed his lips together. „Right now, I wish I could hate you."

She opened her mouth but closed it immediately again, instead of saying something she reached out and ran her fingers over the still visible scar on Adam's chest. „I still remember that day," she whispered and knew that she was changing the subject, he didn't move. „I thought I'd lose you and I knew that moment that I would never survive that. That's why I thought about breaking up with you would be the best solution, for both of us. And I was hoping that we could be friends after our ... wounds have healed."

„We've been friends," Adam whispered back and smiled a little.

The young brunette smiled broadly. „More or less!"

„What do you mean?"

„Every time we ran into each other in our favorite pub, I was thinking about kissing you."

Adam finally grinned broadly. „So you were stalking me?"

Liz really laughed for the first time. „It was the favorite pub of both of us. There was hardly a cop who didn't went there, remember?"

„Right," he chuckled. „I picked you up there."

„You tried because you lost a bet back then. Your friends wanted you to hook me up but you were too much of a gentleman."

„Remember?"

„Of course I remember. That's why I fell in love with you, Adam. Because you never lied to me or pushed me. On the contrary, I still remember when you brought me home after our first date and turned me down although I wanted you to come into my apartment after we made out in the hallway."

Adam laughed briefly and placed his hand on her hip to pull her closer. „Yeah, it was a pretty tough call, though, but I knew immediately that you are special."

Liz ran her hand through his short hair and looked him deep in the eye. „You're the one who's special, Adam. You always took me back no matter what I did to you," she smiled as he pulls her even closer. „And back in time I always thought I wasn't made for marriage, but after meeting you I knew that I wanted to grow old with you. When I had to leave you and Zane, apart of me died, Adam. I ... I couldn't leave you a note because I knew that you'd be looking for me as soon as you read it, that you'd have the whole BPD looking out for me -" she trailed off and frowned. „Please say something."

He looked at her long and shook his head. „No matter what I got to know today, I still can't believe that you are really here and that I am the lucky one to call you my wife."

Liz smiled relieved. „I couldn't wait to see you again." She tugged on one of his gray hair. „Even though I didn't think I'd see you again when you are white."

Adam laughed warmly and suddenly he hoovered his wife.

She laughed herself and ran her hand over his bare shoulder, knowing that some habits would never change.

They both got serious when Liz pulled his head down and gave him no other choice but to kiss her.

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Jane burst into Adam's kitchen the next morning and was about to shout out for her daughter, but then the older Italian stopped when she spotted Liz standing in the kitchen. „Good morning?"

Liz had a neutral expression while stirring eggs in a metal bowl. „Hey."

Jane paused when she saw the serious face of her daughter when she entered the room. The older brunette cleared her throat and sat down at the counter. „You're making breakfast?"

Liz looked down at the bowl while beating the eggs with a whisk. „Apparently." She didn't stop but set her jaw. „Why did you and Mom tell Adam about Eduardo Russo?"

„Why didn't you tell your husband about your former lover?"

„Because currently, I'm trying to fix my family. A former lover doesn't help very much."

„Oh," Jane laughed sarcastically. „You're trying to fix your family now? After you let them down for years? Do you really think that everything will be fine again after a few months? Do you really think that they'll forget the past?"

Liz stopped the beating and looked seriously at her mother. „Is there something you wanna say, Mother?"

Jane lowered her brows and resisted the urge to slap her daughter. „I've wanted to tell you some things for some time, kid!"

„Go ahead!"

Jane shifted on her chair and furrowed her brows. „Are you aware of what your family went through when you disappeared without a trace? I'm not just talking about Adam and Zane, I'm talking about your mother and me, too. We're your family. Too. Liz. We barely slept because we were looking for you, and then you reappeared as a murder suspect." She stood up again and walked around the counter. „When I heard that you were taken to hospital after your arrest I almost had to chain your mother to the heater because she wanted to go there and finally see you again. I had to convince her that I first wanted to make sure that you were fine under these circumstances. I was beyond relieved that your Mom didn't come with me because you were strapped to your hospital bed and drugged. It was bad enough Adam and I had to see you in that state."

Liz looked seriously at her mother and placed the bowl on the counter. „Adam was the reason I got arrested in the first place."

The older Italian scoffed and furrowed her brows. „Adam was just doing his job that day, so you can't blame him for that, Liz. And he was the one hadn't doubt your innocence for a sec. He was the one who asked your Mom and me to help him take the heat off you." She stepped closer to her daughter and glanced insistently at her. „So, instead blaming him for arresting you all over again, you should thank him for not giving you up and for trying to clear your name. In trying to rehabilitate you, he put his reputation and his career at risk."

Liz pressed her lips together and avoided eye contact with Jane. She was fully aware of what her parents and husband had done for her to clear her name.

She had also decided not to approach her husband anymore for having done his job and arresting her, she now knew the evidence.

If she'd have been in his shoes, she'd also arrest the suspect and most likely wouldn't have been convinced that the person had a memory loss and about their innocence.

The young woman crossed her arms over her chest with a frown and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

She had blamed herself every day after she disappeared in Boston that she has gotten involved in such an operation. She had blamed herself every day for not talking to Adam or her parents that the San Diego police got in touch with her because they wanted her to mingle with their people to eradicate the black sheep.

She blamed herself because she had to tear down her whole life that she'd built up with Adam with one blow. At that time she had also been aware of what she would do to her family with her disappearance and yet she had accepted the job.

Today she couldn't say what made her decide to leave her whole life in Boston behind.

Sure, she hated dirty cops, but that couldn't have been her motive because in her hometown were more than enough of them, too.

On some days in San Diego, she even asked herself if she had enough of the daily life in Boston and wanted to escape it with the undercover operation. She could never really answer that question. „I know there are no words for what I did to you," the young woman whispered all of a sudden without looking at Jane and swallowing hard. „And I know that I can't pretend that none of this ever happened. I can't undo the last few years, Ma, as much as I want to. Unfortunately, I can't turn back time. I wish I could have attended Zane's birthdays I've missed, and yours and Mom's. I -" She gasped and glanced at the ceiling. „We all missed so many precious moments with each other, moments which are lost forever."

Jane took a deep breath and nodded slowly. What moments are we actually talking about?"

Liz took the bowl back into her hands, smirked and wiggled her brows.

„You don't have kids in San Diego with this Russo, do you?"

„Actually three."

The former detective started swaying and she braced herself on the counter. „What," she breathed.

Liz grunted and started to smirk broadly. „It was just a joke, Ma. I actually learned what contraceptives are about."

Jane huffed, grabbed a nearby dishtowel and throw it at her daughter. „Oh, you! Now I really wish I could go back in time when you were still a sweet little innocent girl and teach you what protection is about properly."

The young woman laughed heartily and shrugged. „I guess then you'd miss your grandson."

Jane sighed loudly and finally poured herself a cup of coffee with a smile. Yes, her daughter was right. She'd really miss her only grandson. But then she turned serious again. „I'm serious, Liz. Do you and this Russo have -"

„Kids?" The young woman cut her mother off and frowned. „Do you really think I would withhold you and Mom my children?"

The former detective opened her mouth but closed it again immediately.

The young woman recognized the hesitation and shook her head. „No, Russo and have no kids. The only child I have is Zane and he's Adam's son."

„You sure?"

Liz' mouth dropped open and she glanced shocked at her mother. „Excuse me?"

Jane sighed loudly and waved her statement off with her hand. „Forget it, I didn't mean it like that."

„Yes," the younger woman growled low and looked long at Jane. „Yes, Ma, you meant what you just said."

Jane licked her lips and paused. She had told herself not to pick up a fight with her daughter, especially she had the tendency to run away when problems occurred. „Just ... forget what I said."

Liz wiped angrily her hands in the towel her mother had thrown at her and threw it on the counter. „No, I won't," she replied sharply and it was more than obvious that she had to suppress the urge not to yell. „I've made really unforgivable mistakes in the past and I can understand why every one of you alludes to them over and over again. That's okay with me, I can live with that. But don't you dare insinuate that I plant a mailman's child on my husband. When I got pregnant with Zane, I did not sleep with anyone else but Adam, Ma. Not even he doubts that he's Zane's father. And even if he would, I wouldn't hesitate to get a paternity test done." She was about to continue her rant but stopped when she heard footsteps coming from the stairs and took a deep breath as soon as her son wobbled into the kitchen with sleepy eyes, rubbing them and Puck hot on his heels.

Jane dropped her gaze to her lap and ran her fingers tiredly over her brows. She didn't really know why she brought that topic up at all. She was beyond tired and a little overwhelmed by the news that her daughter had an impulsive life in San Diego and an affair with a FED while her family in Boston thought she was dead.

Puck looked at the young Italian and immediately started wagging his tail as she scooped Zane up.

He automatically wrapped his arms and legs around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

The young woman raised her brows with a smile as he muttered something, went to the cupboard to take out a breakfast bowl, got the box of his favorite cereals and fetched milk from the fridge.

She frowned as she glanced down at the items and furrowed her brows the way Jane used to. „Honey, I need to put you down if you wanna have breakfast."

The boy whimpered, clung even more to his mother and shook his head.

Liz sighed heavily. „Okay, we can figure this out."

Jane was about to get up and to give Liz a hand. „I'll help you."

„No," Liz said emphatically and glared at her, and Jane froze immediately. „Thanks, but I got this."

Jane wanted to reply that Liz shouldn't be ridiculous and that it wouldn't be bad too as for help, but she kept her mouth shut and sat down again. She knew very well that this would have been more than inappropriate after her accusation.

„Let Jane help if she want to," Adam grumbled as he also entered the kitchen and stretched with a yawn.

Jane saw the dark look of her daughter and shook her head. „No, it's all right. I was about to leave anyway. I just wanted to check if everything was fine." She cleared her throat when he kissed her daughter.

Zane groaned loudly and buried his even deeper in his mother's neck.

Adam blinked a few times and frowned. „Good morning to you too, buddy."

Jane smirked and took a deep breath. „I should go now before Maura starts wondering where I am."

He glanced at her skeptically. „You won't stay for breakfast?"

She gave him a faint smile. „Another time."

Adam looked down at the younger brunette and shrugged. „All right."

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Leslie sat in a conference room of the homicide unit and stared at the screen of her laptop while typing something. „I've been monitoring Ben Payton's electronic activities for the past few weeks."

Adam ran his hand over his three-day beard. „I assume we don't have a warrant for this."

Liz had her arms crossed over her chest and glanced at him with a frown. „Um -"

„I take that as a no."

She raised her shoulders and licked her lips. „Do you think we could have gotten a warrant for this?" She paused and pointed at the device. „Adam the man was a prosecutor in Boston for years. He'd managed to make us look like a bunch of paranoid morons. If Ben Payton has nothing to do with all of this we'll let him off the hook again."

„We'll have to do that," the redhead said, gritting her teeth.

„What," Liz asked in a high-pitched voice and turned to her. „Why?"

Leslie leaned back in her chair and raised her shoulders. „Because I couldn't find anything unusual on his laptop, Liz. Just the usual correspondence, appointments, stuff like that."

„Payton isn't stupid enough to plan something like this with his computer, let alone coordinating it," Adam grumbled and looked at his wife. „If he's in this, he either uses a second laptop or he handles it the good old way."

Liz closed her eyes and ran her hand over her forehead. Not because she didn't come up with ideas on how to proceed but because a stabbing pain was slowly spreading behind her eyes.

Although she was declared healthy by her doctors, she had to keep regular appointments due to her head injury. That was the prerequisite for her release.

In the beginning, she had really adhered to this prerequisite and had gone to each of her appointments only to hear that there weren't any changes that would affect her daily life. That's why at some point she didn't go to her doctors anymore only to be told that here injuries healed nicely. Many times she thought that she was no medical miracle because she only had a pretty bad concussion.

She made a face with a new wave of pain. „Which would mean he gives his henchmen verbal instructions. Which means we'd have to sneak someone in to prove Ben's a criminal mastermind."

„That's out of question," Adam suddenly said rigorously.

Leslie turned surprised in her chair. She'd known for some years now and had never heard such determination in his voice.

Liz straightened up again and tried not to frown. „What do you mean?"

„You're not going into Payton's office as a stool-pigeon. He knows you, and he's probably responsible for the target on your back. So no, you're not going to sacrifice yourself for the greater good!"

The brunette blinked several times and smiled wryly with a nod. „Okay."

Adam exhaled loudly. „Okay."

She turned on her heels. „Wasn't going to do that anyway," she stated and left the conference room.

Leslie chuckled and Adam dropped his chin to his chest.

„She still has to have the last word," the redhead stated.

„What makes you think so?" He grumbled and smirked at her.

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Liz was standing in front of the sink in the restroom and splashed cold water in her face, hoping that it would soothe the pain behind her eyes.

She straightened up when she heard the door open and was about to give the entering officer a warm smile, but that smile dropped when she saw her husband entering and locking the door.

She furled her brows but didn't move, instead, she braced herself on the sink. A strangely familiar feeling spread in the pit of her stomach. Not the feeling of anticipation but of soon being pushed by this man. The same feeling she got when Hanley locked rooms in this building. At that time, she thought that it was the feeling of arousal, today she knew that it was nothing else but discomfort „I think you got lost, Laverty," she tried to say calmly. „This is the ladies' room."

Adam gave her a faint smile and shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit pants as he strolled towards her. He stood behind her, but not too close to make her uncomfortable, and scrutinized her reflection vividly.

He'd already noticed a few days ago that Liz was paler than usual, but he blamed it on the current stress level. He became weary when he saw her trying to hide her pain from Leslie and him in the conference room. „What's the matter, Elizabeth?"

Liz blinked several times and chuckled amusedly. „I had to pee. I didn't know that I have to tell you that."

He rolled his eyes with a smile but then he inhaled deeply, stepping a little closer to her. „I was talking about the fact that you're in pain and that you're trying to hide it. So, what's the matter."

She turned serious again and glanced at them both in the mirror. „It's nothing."

„Stop lying to me, Liz."

She closed her mouth and swallowed hard, shrugging. „It's just a headache. Maybe I caught a cold or flu."

He gently touched her forehead to check if she was burning up, a touch he had acquired in recent years.

Liz groaned and leaned her head back against his chest. „Your hands are so cold. That feels so good."

He grinned and whispered in her ear, „And I thought you were going to say that they are talented."

Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head a little with an amused smile. „That is very inappropriate, Detective."

He smirked broadly. „But oh so true."

She paused and then nodded approvingly with a shrug. „Yeah," she reluctantly admitted.

Adam turned her to him and frowned. „You certainly don't have a fever."

„Thank you, Doctor Laverty," Liz replied and punched his shoulder.

Adam gasped in surprise and chuckled.

Liz picked her phone out of her pocket when it started vibrating. She inhaled deeply as she glanced at its display, went to the door and unlocked it again. „Duty calls, come on."

Adam followed her and nearly knocked an astonished female officer over when he emerged from the room. He hesitated. „I ... we ... Never mind!"


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter is again very Liz heavy to show who Tim is and what his intentions might be. I hope you won't hold that against me. I'm just gonna focus on that story for now.**

 **I hope you like this chapter.**

 **I'll see you soon,**

 **T73.**

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It was like any other cases, crystal clear. Liz and Adam caught a case which involved a jealous girlfriend who figured out that her lover was married. So the mistress got rid of the wife so she and her lover could ride into the sunset. Such an ending might be conceivable in a fairy tale, not in real life. Not if Adam and Liz investigated the course of events.

Some of their colleagues even sometimes claimed that the two were as good as Jane and Maura.

Every time Liz heard that she only grunted and waved that statement off. She knew that she had a long way to go to become as good as one of her mothers.

She was about to put slices of the ordered pizza on three plates while Zane watched his evening cartoons and looked up as soon as someone rang the doorbell. „Did your or my parents wanted to come by tonight?"

Adam was about to sip his water and shook his head. „My parents still live hundreds of miles away and Jane and Maura said nothing."

„Are you expecting someone?"

„It's Friday, right."

„Yeah."

„Shoot, I forgot to cancel on my girlfriend."

Liz scowled at him and saw a movement in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to Zane, who was about to run to the front door and pointed at him. „Young man, what are you doing?"

Zane immediately froze and pointed to the door. „Answering the door?"

Liz quirked a brow and wiped her hands in her gray sweats. „Sit back down."

„But -"

„No buts," she cut the boy off and his shoulders slumped. „Sit back down. NOW!"

Zane muttered something under his breath as he marched back into the living room.

She rolled her eyes and went to the door herself. Her heart skipped a beat when she glanced through the peephole.

Adam tilted his head and hoped that this would this Russo guy

About whom everyone was talking about. If it would be Russo he'd probably be charged with murder. „Won't you open the door, Liz?"

She glanced at him with her lips pressed together. She took a deep breath before she finally opened the door. She immediately recognized the man. It was the one who lounged around in the driveway of her parents. The man who made her existence possible. She couldn't remember his name, though.

He wrung nervously his hands and smiled tightly.

She studied him thoroughly but blocked the door. „How can I help you, Sir?"

„Sir," the dark-haired man laughed. „Most people just call me Tim." He stopped laughing when he saw her confused expression. „Um, my name is Timothy Rubino. Technically, I'm your father."

She snorted and looked briefly over her shoulder just to see that Adam was now sitting with Zane and watching cartoons.

She took a deep breath and straightened up. „Technically, you are indeed my father. In fact, my mothers are my parents. They fed me, clothed me and raised me while you weren't even a peripheral figure. You didn't exist for me. You were only a sperm donor, literally." She frowned and licked her lips. „That's why I wonder why you show up on my doorstep, Dan. And how the hell you got my address."

The man stared at her almost in disbelief and blinked a few times, and reached his hand out. „I'm happy to meet you, too. Um, can I come in?"

Liz didn't even flinch and put her hand against the door frame to protect her home. „I have no reason to let you in, and I don't know you."

„I know that I was never and won't ever be a part of your life, I want you to know that."

„Thank you," the young woman replied but made no effort to invite Tim in. „I really appreciate that."

He smiled a little. „You're as stubborn as my mother."

Liz opened her mouth and wanted to reply something when her husband suddenly stood behind her.

Adam also recognized the man immediately and furled his brows as he chewed with pleasure his pizza. „Won't you invite the gentleman in?"

Liz stared at him in disbelief but dropped her arm and finally let the older man enter the house.

Tim smiled broadly at Adam and reached out his hand. „Thank you."

Adam shook the said hand. „You're welcome. I'm Adam Laverty."

Liz let the door fall shut and followed them flabbergasted. „This is Tim R-"

Tim realized that she couldn't remember his whole name and jumped in. „Rubino. Tim Rubino"

He looked around in the house, or what he could see of it, and frowned as he spotted the three plates on the dining table. „I didn't mean to keep you from dinner."

„Oh," Adam replied and waved the statement off. „we can reheat dinner later."

Tim nodded and cleared his throat. „So you two ... live together?"

„I hope so," Adam laughed and glanced at his wife. „We are married."

„Not for long anymore if you don't shut up," Liz growled through clenched teeth and went into the kitchen.

Tim raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat again. „You're married?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. „Yes."

„And do you want kids someday?"

Adam grinned broadly but that grin died when Liz scowled at him. „Um ... we have a son."

„Adam!" Liz said in a warning voice and then she turned her gaze to Tim. „So where'd you get our address?"

„When you know the names of the people who ... how shall I put it? Um, who -"

„Ordered your sperm," she asked when he trailed off and her impatience grew with every second.

„Yes," the man laughed nervously and frowned. „If you know their names, the rest is knickknack."

The younger man nodded slowly but then he paused. „Aren't such information confidential?"

„Actually, yes," Liz replied and fixed her gaze on Tim. „How did you get these data?"

Tim took a deep breath and swallowed heavily. „A very good friend of mine works at the sperm bank."

She looked at him almost stunned and licked her lips. „And why did you show up at my house? I can't imagine that my parents were the only ones who requested your inheritance?"

Tim paused for a moment and sighed loudly. „You're not the only one I got in touch with, Elizabeth."

She nodded slowly and furrowed her brows. „I guess the others weren't exactly thrilled when you suddenly burst into their lives."

Tim ran his hand over his beard and seemed to look for a good answer. „They didn't exactly welcome me with open arms."

„I'm shocked," the young woman grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. „And what do you want from me, Tim?"

„Why do you think I want something from you, Elizabeth?"

„Because I can't imagine you came by because you wanted to see what I made out of my life."

„You're right," Tim replied and walked towards her. „You're absolutely right. I'm not just here because of kindness." He pulled out his wallet and hesitated for a second before taking out a picture, showing it to Liz. „This is my daughter Keira. She just turned fifteen."

She looked at the photo in detail. It showed a girl of whom she couldn't deny that she was genetically related to her, but she didn't move. And why are you telling me this?"

Tim hesitated again for a moment and Adam furled his brows.

He had heard several times about sperm donors who suddenly appeared in the lives of their offspring and then turned it upside down. Most of their motives were selfish. In such cases, it was always about people who were in the public eye and who paid a lot of money for the fact that the donor didn't blare out that the people were the result of artificial insemination.

Liz was also a public figure, first because of her parents who weren't exactly unknown in Boston and then because of her sudden disappearance and her arrest.

He didn't know if he could control himself if Time would demand money now.

„Keira's a good girl," the older man said, pulling Adam out of his train of thought. „She ... she's just bad company. She's been smoking, drinking and stealing from time to time and I just can't reach her anymore."

Adam sighed loudly and nodded slowly.

Liz frowned and let the words sink in. She could've guessed why Time had shown up at her place. She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and furrowed her brows. „and what does all of this have to do with me?"

„Liz -" Adam started but closed his mouth again as she held her hand up to signal him to stay out of it.

Tim ran his hand over his beard again and smiled sadly. „It has absolutely nothing to do with you and I wouldn't be here, or at the places of the others, when I would know what to do. My wife Mary died a year ago in a traffic accident and after that, the problems with Keira started. I really try my best to psych her up again but she just doesn't listen to me anymore and has surrounded herself with friends who are -" he trailed off and sighed heavily. „Let's just say that they're shady and much older than my daughter. I asked the people who really made something out of their lives. However, you are the only police officer among them, Elizabeth."

She took a deep breath and raised her brows briefly. „You want us to arrest Keira's buddies? Do you really ask us to abuse our positions as police officers?"

Tim shook his head and came even closer to the woman. „No. No, for God's sake, I would never ask you for such a favor, Elizabeth. I am here to ask you to have a serious talk with Keira and make her understand what happens to people who live a dissolute lifestyle and become criminals to finance this way of life."

Liz looked long at him and lifted her shoulders. „And why should Keira listen to me? She doesn't know me and has no relation to me."

„That's exactly why," he replied and frowned. „And because you are a person to be respected. I'm sure Keira will listen to you."

Liz glanced briefly at Adam who's bringing the heated pizza to their son, gritting her teeth briefly. „I'll think about it."

Tim breathed a sigh of relief and placed his business card on the dining table. „Thank you. Um, that's my phone number and email address."

She nodded slowly and tried to smile a little before bringing the older man to the door and saying goodbye.

Adam stood again in the kitchen and frowned. „Are you really going to talk to Keira?"

She took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. „Yes, I'll try to talk to her."

„Because she's your sister?"

„I have no siblings, Adam, I grew up as an only child. Just because the girl and I have the same genes it doesn't mean we're related"

„Technically -"

„Yes, I know the concept of kinship." She went back into the kitchen and opened the cupboard to take out a wine glass. She filled the glass with red wine and took a deep breath. „Besides, as an officer, it's my duty to keep people from putting themselves and others in danger."

„Yeah, go ahead and tell that yourself," he replied and grabbed his and her plates. „could you bring two bottles of water and apple juice," he asked and marched into the living room.

The brunette rolled her eyes and opened the fridge. „Sure."

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A few days later Liz stood in front of the big mirror in the bedroom and looked at her reflection skeptically with her head tilted while plucking at her shirt over again.

Adam came out of the bathroom and stopped with a grin. „Is something wrong?"

She didn't look at him and heaved a sigh. „Actually, I was hoping that my uniform wouldn't fit me anymore. Why exactly did you keep it?"

He laughed briefly and shrugged. „I'm a sentimental person."

She scoffed and looked at him with furrowed brows. „Since when?"

He ran his hands over the dress shirt of his own uniform. „You seem there are still things about me you don't know."

„Yeah, like how you actually look in your police uniform."

„I've worn it many times."

„Yes, your dress uniform."

He chuckled and raised his brows. „When I see you in yours, old memories come back."

„I hope only the good ones."

Adam made a face and raised his shoulders again. „Where's Keira supposed to be today?"

Liz checked her belt again and pulled down the corners of her mouth. „On a basketball court in Mattapan."

„And you think this outfit is good for this neighborhood?"

She glanced up and scowled at him. „We'll survive there half an hour, Adam."

„You sure?"

„Otherwise, Leslie and Chaz will have to raise two kids."

He laughed ironically. „Very funny."

„I know."

Adam took a deep breath and scratched his chin. „I have to admit, this damn uniform is a little tight."

Liz went to him and patted his belly. „I have to admit, you've gained some weight.

Adam gasped and followed her. „Hey!"

She laughed heartily but ignored him.

„Did you organize a patrol car, too."

„You know me, I never do things by halves."

He rolled his eyes and grumbled, „Of course not."

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The young woman parked the patrol car with a sigh at the curb and stared through the windshield. She didn't really know what she was doing in Mattapan, she didn't know the girl and her personal circumstances, only the things Tim had told her.

She didn't know exactly why she'd gotten involved in something like this.

Yes, she was a police officer with heart and soul and yes, she would do anything to prevent someone from doing something stupid, but somehow this was different. She would burst into the life of a teenager and perhaps change it once and for all, after all, it was impossible to deny that the two looked alike.

„You okay," Adam asked and pulled her out of her train of thought.

Liz blinked a few times and unbuckled her seat belt. „Yeah, I'm fine."

He glanced long at her and frowned before he also got out of the car. „You know that you don't have to do this, right?"

She blinked against the sun and furrowed her brows. „Yes, I know," she replied and automatically placed her left hand on her gun as they were eyed by several people. „But I promised Tim to talk to his daughter, and I'll keep that promise."

Adam nodded slowly and kept an eye on their surroundings. He never liked Mattapan.

Several young men were in the middle of a basketball game when the two entered the court. They stopped immediately when they saw the cops.

Liz looked closely at the audience and spotted Keira immediately in the middle of a group of girls, saying a little louder, „Keira Rubino?"

The teenager looked in the direction of Liz's voice and rolled her eyes as she saw the cops. „You gotta be kidding me. Did my old man really put the cops onto me?"

Liz glanced at her with furrowed brows and thrust her chin in the direction of a quieter corner of the court. „This is Adam Laverty and I am Liz Rizzoli. Can we talk to you? Privately."

Keira almost looked defiantly at her and crossed her arms over her chest, but then she nodded approvingly and strolled in the direction Liz has suggested.

Liz quirked a brow and followed the girl.

„You still can turn around," Adam whispered to her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

„What does my father want from me again," Keira asked and was about to light a cigarette.

Liz grabbed it and threw it to the ground, stepping on it.

„Hey!" Keira barked and drew unwanted attention to them.

Liz ignored her and the looks of the other people and furled her brows. „This ... this is bad for you, and you stop smoking right now!"

Keira gritted her teeth and huffed. „Who are you? My mother?"

„No, but a cop and you won't treat me like I'm one of your wannabe friends. Do you understand?"

„Yeah," the girl grumbled low.

„What?"

„Yeah, I heard you," the teenager replied reluctantly.

„Very well," Liz said proudly and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. „Keira, your dad is very worried about you. That's why he asked us to have a talk with you."

The teenager eyes them and laughed. „Since when does my father care about me? Since my mother died, he has busied himself with his work and only hired babysitters who followed me everywhere I go."

„Well," Adam suddenly said and Liz glanced at him. „Everyone mourns a different way. There are people who don't know how to help themselves so they rather distract them with work after losing someone they loved, Keira. Even though they should take care of more important things, or in your case, more important persons."

Keira looked long at him then smirked. „The only thing my father loves is money and himself."

Liz glanced long at the girl and frowned. „Why would you say that?"

The girl took a deep breath and lifted her shoulders. „The night my mother died in a traffic accident, my parents fought because she found out that my dad donated his semen a thousand years ago for money."

Adam cleared his throat and pursed his lips.

Liz's frown deepened and she swallowed hard.

Keira laughed amused. „What's the problem? That I said donated or because I said semen?"

Liz shook her head. „Neither of it. So you heard that your parents fighting about that?"

„Yes, loud and clear. Mom accused dad of being a slave to his boss and that he did this donation only because his boss wants him to and because of money, and then she stormed out of our house, yelling at him that she needed time to think. Two hours later, she was dead."

„So you couldn't really say goodbye to your mom," Liz stated and the teenager shook her head with a lowered gaze. She frowned and stepped closer to the girl. „I'm really sorry," she said almost gently and Keira looked up again. „I really am, Keira, but those people over there are no company for someone like you. They realize that you are sharp as a tack and use that to their advantage and in the end, they drop you like a hot stone just so they won't go to the big house. Believe me, they are not your friends, Keira, they are using you. And if you'll need your so-called friends, they'll let you down."

„They are the only thing that comes close to a family since Mom died," Keira replied and it seems like she'd let down her guard.

The older brunette shook her head with a faint smile. „No, they're not. Your father is your family. So you should give him another try and talk to him about how you're feeling."

„He won't listen."

„You can't know if you don't give it a try, Keira. I know what I'm talking about. When I was your age I also thought my mothers wouldn't listen and so I became mutinous. Long story short, I was grounded for a month but after that, my parents noticed that they actually were too involved in their work and backed down. Everything changed after my little revolution."

„Really," Keira asked and eyed Liz skeptically.

Liz smiled broadly and nodded. „Yes, really. You just have to give your father a chance to change."

The teenager took a deep breath and nodded slowly. „Okay."

„Okay," Liz repeated and placed a hand on the girl's back. „Come on, we'll bring you to your dad's."

The girl nodded once more and followed Adam. „He's cute," she whispered to the older brunette.

Liz took a deep breath and smiled a little. „Yeah, kinda."

Keira glanced at her and quirked a brow. „You're totally smitten by him, aren't you?"

Liz suddenly smiled broadly when the girl brought that up.

„I already knew it when I first saw you. And he likes you too, a lot," the girl giggled.

„What are you whispering about back there," Adam wanted to know and turned his head to them.

Liz turned serious again. „Girl's stuff, Laverty. That's none of your business."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

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Liz was standing in the locker room and groaned when she finally stuffed her white dressing shirt into her dark blue pants.

Leslie stopped a second before she rounded the corner. „I was afraid I'd interrupt something that isn't meant for me to see."

The brunette grinned broadly shrugged. „No idea what you're talking about."

„Yes, you do," the redhead replied and opened her locker.

Liz laughed and hung her uniform in her own locker. „How can you spend the whole day in this straitjacket?"

„How can't you?"

Liz smiled broadly and put on her jacket. „Can you do me a favor?"

„Sure."

„Can you check the background of a Timothy Rubino?"

„Yeah, I can do that," Leslie replied and turned with questioning eyes to her friend when the brunette thanked her and was about to leave. „Liz."

Liz turned to her with a frown. „Hmm?"

Leslie furled her brows. „Why do you want me to check the background of Payton's investigator?"

Liz heard stopped when she heard the information and her thoughts tumbled. She frowned and glanced at the redhead horrified. „What?"

Leslie stepped closer to her friend when she saw that the news threw Liz off the track. „I checked Payton's entire staff, and Timothy Rubin is on his payroll." She paused when she saw Liz's horrified face. „Liz, what's going on? You look as though you'd seen a ghost."

Liz grabbed her phone from the bench and started writing a text.

„Liz?"

The brunette glanced up from her phone. „Tim Rubino is the reason why I stand in front of you today."

Leslie blinked a few times and didn't even try to hide her confusion. „Excuse me?"

Liz shoved her phone into her pocket and took a deep breath. „Technically, he's my father."

Leslie made big eyes now, too. „Oh, shit!"

„Yeah, that's right," Liz replied and started to leave the locker room. „Oh, shit."

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Liz leaned with her arms crossed against her parents' kitchen island and watched Jane rubbing the bridge of her nose with a deep frown.

Maura stood behind the counter and felt like she was about to throw up any moment. She wondered how her ex-husband could arrange for her and Jane to choose his investigator as a donor so he could still have control over their lives.

She always thought Ben had left Boston right after their divorce was finalized. Now she knew she was wrong. She also realized that her ex-husband had been watching her for all these years.

„I'm gonna kill Ben," Jane growled low and Liz quirked an eyebrow at her mother finally looked up. „I'll strangle him really slow."

„I hope you are aware that a cop is in this room and can hear you clearly," Liz replied and went to the fridge to get herself a bottle of water.

Jane glanced her seriously and frowned. „I couldn't care any less."

„Charming," the younger woman stated, and Maura rolled her eyes.

Jane got up from the couch and clenched her jaw for a moment. „Can it be that we didn't get the -" She trailed off and thought about whether she should finish the sentence in Liz's presence or not. „That Ben made sure we got Tim's DNA instead of the donor we've picked?"

Liz lowered her bottle and raised her brows high.

Maura straightened up and took a deep breath. „Yes, that's possible."

„Perfect," the former lieutenant growled once again.

Liz smiled tightly. „I still can hear you, Ma."

„Why does it matter now," Maura suddenly asked when her wife opened her mouth to reply something. „Would you love Elizabeth any less if you know that Ben got the sperm donation swapped?"

Jane eyes her daughter long and her shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh. „Of course not, I still would love her the way I do. But maybe we would've had a son instead -"

„Wow," Liz laughed and placed her water on the counter. „I really do feel loved by you right now."

The older brunette rolled her eyes. „You know what I mean."

„Do I?"

„Now don't be ridiculous."

„Stop it right now, both of you!" Maura barked when Liz wanted to reply something.

The young woman tugged in her chin and Jane lowered her brows.

Maura went to her daughter and ran her hand down at Liz's arms. „We love you just the way you are, Elizabeth. You are our daughter, and that's all that matters. Do you agree, Jane?"

Jane exhaled loudly and nodded slowly but surely. „Absolutely."

„And nothing will that ever change."

Jane stepped closer to her daughter. „What exactly did Tim want from you?"

Liz took a deep breath and shrugged exhausted. „He wanted me to talk to his fifteen-year-old daughter Keira because she's marching to a different drummer right now."

Maura closed her eyes briefly and heaved a sigh. „Why isn't her mother talking to her daughter?"

„That's impossible, she died a year ago in a traffic accident."

Somehow, Jane had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and glanced briefly at Maura who seemed to have the same feeling as she. Jane could deduce that from her wife's facial expression. „I don't know, I don't like any of this."

Jane grunted amusedly and furrowed her brows. „Do you think a fifteen-year-old teenager would stab me in the middle of the day?"

„No," the older Italian replied and crossed her arms over her chest. „but Keira could be used by Ben and Tim as a pretense to stay damn close to all of us, too close."

Liz let the words of her mother sink in and she came to the same conclusion. Already the evening Tim had asked her for this favor, she had wondered if it wouldn't be better for Keira if a long time acquaintance would talk to her instead of her. She couldn't quite tell why had thrown all caution to the wind and assured Tim that she would talk to his daughter.

To be fair, at that moment she didn't know for whom Tim Rubino was working for. „I'll be careful."

„Please," Maura said gently now. „We just got you back. I couldn't handle it if we lose you again."

Liz glanced at her watch, rounded the counter and kissed Maura's cheek. „I've got to go now. Don't worry so much or you'll get gray hair, Mom,"

Maura smiled broadly and nodded with a sigh.

Liz smiled slyly, went to Jane and kissed her cheek too. „That goes for you too, Ma."

Jane rolled her eyes but smiled. „You should've warned me about that a few years ago." She paused and scrutinized her daughter long. „Take care of yourself, Liz."

The young woman nodded and turned to leave, raising her hand. „I will. See you tomorrow."

„Yes," Jane sighed low. „See you tomorrow, Liz. I really hope so."

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Adam came slowly back into the kitchen and frowned when he saw his wife sitting at the dining table and shoving a fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth while reading something on her laptop.

He hovered over her and furled his brows. „Didn't we have dinner with our son an hour ago?"

Liz didn't glance up and shrugged. „Fish sticks aren't exactly my favorite dish."

„Since when," he grunted amusedly.

„I've never liked it."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. „Okay. And what are you reading?"

She leaned back and wanted to protest when he grabbed her fork and shoved a portion of her eggs into his mouth, but then decided to answer his question. „I've been searching the net about Mary Rubino's accident."

Adam took a deep breath and scanned the article his wife was reading. He actually had hoped the two could spend some time alone together after he was forced to put Zane to bed and to read him a bedtime story. Not by Liz but by their son. „Found anything interesting?"

She looked at him, grabbed a piece of bacon and nodding while eating it. „Some really intriguing stories." She paused when she saw his puzzled look. „What?"

„You dig in like this is your last meal."

„Are you trying to tell me something?"

„No," he laughed and shook his head. He sat down on the chair next to his wife and frowned. „What caught your attention?"

Liz put her fork to the side and licked her lips. „Tim forgot to mention that his wife was a respected pediatrician and that she wanted a divorce."

He furled his brows. „How do you know that."

Liz cleared her throat and mumbled, „Tabloid."

Adam raised his brows, grinning. „What?"

She rolled her eyes and replied, „Tabloid."

He chuckled but turned serious a second later, scratching his chin. „I knew I'd heard the name Rubino before, I just couldn't put a finger on it. But ... what does that have to do with her accidental death?"

Liz furrowed her brows. „She had had an appointment with her divorce lawyer the day after her accident. The accident perpetrator, a truck driver, claimed that Mary's SUV was suddenly steered into the incoming traffic after it was swerving about. The investigators in charge asked to test Mary for alcohol."

„But there were no traces of alcohol in her system."

She almost smiled broadly. „Nope."

Adam opened his mouth to reply something when there was a knock on the front door. He raised a hand when Liz was about to get up. „I get this."

She nodded slowly and furrowed her brows, hoping that the nightly visitor wouldn't be Tim. She got up her chair and brought her plate to the sink. She knew that Adam was following her train of thought even though he was about to question it. She turned around and froze when she looked into the tear-stained face of Keira. She saw that a blue eye was forming under Keira's left eye and her split lower lip. She noticed the girl wrapping tightly her jacket around her body and thought the worse. „What happened," she wheezed and rounded the kitchen island. Hundreds of scenarios shot through her mind. First, she thought that Tim had tried to get rid of his own daughter after Keira confided in Liz. Keira's lower lip trembled when she saw the detective's worried expression. „My boyfriend ... He didn't like me talking to cops," she cried.

Liz went to the teenager and led her at the arm to the couch. „Oh," she breathed and frowned deeply.

„I didn't want to bother you," the girl cried harder as she sat down. „but you told me that I could come here anytime I need help, and if my dad sees me like this ... he'll kill Curtis,"

Liz glanced at her husband and he nodded. „I'll get the first aid kit."

Liz cupped carefully the girl's chin with her hand and furled her brows. „He's lucky if I don't kill him. My mother is a doctor, let me call her."

„No," the teenager replied louder and jumped a little. „No, it's not that bad. I just need a place to stay for a couple of days before I can go home." She saw the detective's deep frown and was about to get off the couch. „This was a stupid idea, you probably call my father right in the morning."

„No," Liz stated louder and pushed the girl back onto the couch. „No, I promise you, I won't call him. You can stay as long as you want."

The teenager eyes her skeptically. „Why are you doing this for me?"

Liz shook her head and shrugged because she had no answer for that question. Let's talk about this Curtis guy first."


	15. Chapter 15

**So, I finally have a new update for you, I hope you didn't wait too long. The italic part of this chapter is a kind of dream sequence, you'll see what I mean.**

 **Enjoy,**

 **T73.**

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Liz sat at the kitchen counter and looked up from her newspaper as she heard someone coming down the stairs. She smiled a little and raised her brows as she saw the bruised Keira. „How did you sleep?"

„Better if I'd had five beer," the teen grumbled and huffed.

Liz smiled faintly and nodded. „You'll get them when you're twenty-one."

Keira sat down at the other end of the counter and huffed again. „You're boring."

„I can handle that statement pretty well."

The girl looked long at her and took a deep breath. „Why are you helping me?"

Liza sipped her coffee and closed the newspaper. „As you may have noticed, I am a cop. I protect people in need,"

The teenager glanced at the woman and shook her head. „No. No, you're helping me for another reason."

Liz emptied her mug and got up to pour herself another coffee. „It's a long and complicated story that I'll tell you another time."

„It is about my father?"

The detective opened the door of the fridge and got a bottle of orange juice out of it. „In a way, yes."

Keira nodded slowly and watched Liz pouring her a glass of juice.

Liz shoved it over the counter before getting her coffee. „How old is your boyfriend?"

Keira rolled her eyes. „Why?"

„Because I wanna know."

The teenager hesitated and avoided Liz's eyes. „Nineteen."

Liz's eyebrows shot up. „Your boyfriend is nineteen and he beats you?"

Keira finally looked up and licked her lips, wincing a little.

Liz wanted to say something when someone else suddenly walked past her and grabbed her mug before she could take a sip. She pursed her lips and glanced at her husband with furrowed brows while he drank from her coffee.

Keira watched the scene and frowned deeply. „So, are you her gay rommie?"

Adam's brows shot up and he choked on the coffee.

Liz laughed amused and patted his shoulders as she took another cup out of the cupboard. „Yes, Adam's my gay housemate,"

Adam smirked before he pulled his wife at her waist against her and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. „Then we should keep this to ourselves. My boyfriend won't be thrilled when he gets to know about you."

Liz grinned broadly before she kissed him on the lips.

Keira cleared her throat and the two looked at the girl. „So you're friends with benefits? That means that you are friends who have -"

„We know that that means," cut Liz the teenager off and raised a hand. „And no, Adam is my husband."

Keira made big eyes. „You are ... Really?"

Adam nodded slowly. „Yep."

„How did you -" the girl trailed off and rolled her eyes. „You probably met at work."

Adam cleared his throat and glanced down on his feet.

Liz chuckled now. „Actually no, we met at our favorite pub."

„Luckily," Adam added and his wife can't hide the broad smile.

Keira was about to ask something else but stopped, blinking a few times. „What's that?"

Liz frowned and glanced at the man. „A pub is a place you meet with friends and perhaps have some drinks."

The teenager grunted and pointed behind the woman. „No, this?"

The older brunette looked over her shoulder and watched how Puck stretched his fore-paws and back extensively, yawning as he tried to reach the patio door.

She rolled her eyes. „Our Belgian shepherd," she and Adam said in unison.

Adam opened the door and shuddered as the cold air rushed in. „Come on, old boy. I don't want to freeze to death."

Puck sauntered before slipping out of the house.

Keira eyes the two skeptically. „Now only two and a half children and the white fence are missing. Then you are the perfect American family.

Liz sat back in her chair and quirked a brow. „We're working on it."

Adam stumbled over his feet when she said this and frowned deeply.

Liz chuckled and looked at the teenager. „Our son Zane is still up in his room." She glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. „By the way, he only gets ten more minutes."

Keira blinked a few times and rolled her glass between her hands. „When did you and Adam met?"

Liz sighed dramatically and furrowed her brows, squinting at the ceiling. „I meet Adam when I was twenty-two ... so almost twelve years."

„And how old is your son?"

„He turns seven in three months," Adam answered and looked at his wife.

Liz took a deep breath and smiled sadly. She knew that this potshot was meant to be painful when she saw his eyes. She pressed her lips together and turned her attention back to the teen. „Enough of that. Keira, you can stay here as long as you want."

„I don't want to bother you," the girl replied with a deep frown.

„Bullshit," Adam said suddenly and looked keenly at Keira. „Liz and I grew up in big families, one person more or less doesn't bother us at all."

Liz frowned deeply and glanced long at her husband. She opened her mouth to state something but stopped when she saw that Zane, who had just got up, stood at the stairs and stared at the teenage girl without moving.

She furled her brows and narrowed her eyes as the boy ran to his father and hid behind Adam's legs. „Since when are you so shy, kiddo?"

Zane tugged at his father's sweats and looked up at his father without saying a word.

Adam rolled his eyes and lifted the boy off the ground with a groan. He listened attentively as Zane whispered something in his ear and then he grunted with a grin.

„What are you whispering about," Liz asked skeptically.

Adam eyed her and then at his son. „Boys stuff."

She narrowed her eyes and smiled again. „Okay." She eyes the teenager and took a deep breath. „Keira, this little guy is our son Zane. Zane this is ... Keira, she's going to stay here for some time. Come and say hello."

Zane mumbled something and buried his face in the crook of Adam's neck.

Liz narrowed her eyes once more before getting up and carrying her mug to the sink. „I'll meet with Chaz in an hour. Do you think you're gonna survive without me?"

Adam rolled his eyes and wanted to reply that he survived without her for several years, so a few hours would be a snap. He nodded and wanted to put his son back down on the floor but the boy clung to his father.

This time it was Liz who rolled her eyes and she walked towards the stairs. „I'm going to take a shower and change clothes. You know where to find me if you need anything."

He nodded and glanced at Zane. „We'll be good, don't worry."

Half an hour later, Adam entered the bathroom and closed the door with a deep frown. Liz was about to button-up her white blouse and paused when she saw the reflexion of her husband in the mirror. „Is the kitchen on fire?"

Adam scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. „No, everything's fine down there. Keira and Zane get along very nicely. I just want to talk to you about letting Keira stay here."

Liz pressed her lips together and frowned a little. „I know I've should talk to you about it first."

„I'm okay with it. I rather let her stay her here before Curtis beat her to death."

She eyes her and nodded slowly. „Okay."

Adam inhaled deeply. „Did you offered it because you wanna try to build a relationship with your sister?"

The young woman frowned deeply and furrowed her brows. „Adam, she's not my sister. She's just a young frightened girl who turned to us for help."

He nodded slowly and eyes her. „And what do we do if we have to arrest Tim in the worst case scenario."

Liz pressed her lips together, turned to him and furrowed her brows, leaning against the sink. „We'll see when it comes to that, Adam."

Adam stepped closer to her and sighed loudly. „You're gonna have to explain to her at some point who you really are, Liz."

She closed her eyes briefly and nodded once. „Yeah, I know, but not today, and not tomorrow. Give me some time to figure out how to tell Keira that her father is my biological begetter."

He eyed her long and clenched his jaw for a second. „Just don't take too much time, Liz. If she finds out that you knew about it all the time who your ... 'father' is and that you knew she's your ... 'sister' ... She won't forgive you not telling the truth."

She nodded once again and sighed. „I'll tell her, but not today."

He ran his hands down her arms. He was able to see that his wife was in a conflict right now. „I surely won't tell Keira about it. That you're her sister."

She opened her mouth to disagree once more and kissed him quickly. „I'm late already. I'll see you later at the precinct."

„Yeah," he sighed heavily after she left the bathroom. „see you in the precinct."

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Adam sat on the couch with his laptop and again flew over his collected data, which more than clearly proved that he and his wife had stumbled into an opaque conspiracy.

He looked at his watch and frowned as it really surprised him that Zane was still playing with Keira in the garden.

Yes, Liz had taken Puck under the pretext that the dog needed an extensive walk. His inner voice, on the other hand, told him that hadn't been the reason why she took puck with her.

Zane came running into the house at once and threw himself on the couch next to him, turning on the TV.

Keira followed the boy and frowned as Adam closed his laptop and got up after driving his hand through Zane's hair. „I don't need a watcher, you know."

Adam looked at the girl and then at Zane. „You maybe not, but this boy."

She cracked a smile and licked her lips.

Adam took two cola out of the fridge and threw a can at her. „If you are thirsty then help yourself." He paused when he saw her eyes and frowned. "By that, I mean water, juices, and soda pops."

Keira shrugged and placed the can on the counter. „Why is Liz freaking out about Curtis? You're a lot older than she is."

He looked at her in surprise and scratched his chin. „Liz freaks out because of Curtis because you're fifteen and he's nineteen, which is already against the law, and because he beats you. And when we first met, she was of legal age."

„I love Curtis."

Adam looked long at the girl and sat down beside her, nodding. „Yeah, maybe you love him but that does not give him the right to treat you the way he does and make you do whatever he wants, you deserve someone who appreciates you and accepts you the way you are and not someone who tries to change you. Liz and I see every day ... We see men and women bending over for someone else and that doesn't end well for some of them in the end. „

„You mean on the streets."

„Yeah, on the streets, but Liz and I aren't patrolling officers, we're homicide detectives."

Keira's eyes grew big. „Oh."

Adam smiled sadly and nodded. „We dressed up to impress you and your friends, knowing that you would rather listen to someone in uniform than people in suits."

„That was a smart move," she laughed and drank her soda.

„Thanks," he laughed and looked at his son, who ignored them.

„I wish my parents would have looked at me like that sometimes," Keira said suddenly, studying the can in her hands.

Adam frowned as he turned his attention back to the teenager. „What do you mean?"

She shrugged and chewed the inside of her cheek. „You and Liz look at Zane full of love, sometimes I was nothing but air for my parents because they were simply engaged in their competition. Mom was a pediatrician who made a living while Dad was a mediocre private investigator, sometimes they didn't even notice me."

Adam raised his head as he understood. „Your parents saw you, Keira, they just didn't know how to show it."

„I knew they were going to divorce but never asked me how I was feeling about."

„Well -" Adam started looking for words because he still didn't know how to explain to a child why parents didn't want to be with the other anymore and that their decisions would affect their affected.

Keira looked long at him and pointed at her face. „You sometimes have the same expression as my mother."

Adam swallowed hard and frowned. "What do you mean?"

„Mom looked at my dad just as much as you look at Liz, but at the same time her eyes were as sad as yours."

Adam looked at the teenager in astonishment and huffed. „Liz and me ... we have a long, complicated story."

Keira took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

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Chaz walked past the sports court in Mattapan with his best friend an2d Puck where she had met Keira and frowned while he sipped his coffee. Can you tell me again why we're in Mattapan at this unholy time?"

Liz furled eyebrows and looked up to him. „It's 8.30 in the morning. What's unholy about this time?"

He shrugged and frowned. „Every time of day is unholy in Mattapan."

Liz grinned broadly but then she got serious again. „Thank you for coming with me."

„Every time," Chaz said, breathing in the cold air deeply. „And besides, I can't leave you alone when I have a strange feeling that you're about to do something really stupid."

„The last time you accompanied me because you had the same feeling, you were almost beaten to death," she replied and took a swig of her coffee.

Chaz briefly gritted his teeth and glanced around because he felt like he was being watched. „Can you remember the night?"

Liz exhaled loudly and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. „No, I can barely remember anything. I feel like the night is behind a veil that I just can't lift." She paused and furrowed her brows. „Every time I try to remember, I get these unbearable headaches as if my brain is trying to prevent me from recalling the events of the night. What about you? Do you remember anything?"

Chaz scoffed and shook his head. „I can't remember anything either, the evening is like wiped out. Maybe it's better that way, Liz."

„How can that be better? You were almost killed and they wanted to frame me for murder. I want to know who is behind all of this and why they're after us."

„I can understand you, but sometimes it's better to let things go before you make the situation worse."

„Shall I have this written on your headstone?"

Chaz looked at her with big eyes and wanted to counter something when he saw the person they were looking for and thrust his chin at the young man. „Is that your guy?"

Liz saw a young man walking around a chain-link fence and nodded as she handed her friend Puck's leash before following the guy. „Yeah, that's the guy I'm looking for."

The very day she met Keira, she had a rather uneasy feeling when he eyed the girl like a lurking predator while Keira was talking to Adam and her, but she couldn't say why. „You don't have to do this, Chaz."

„So you can get yourself killed," he countered, shaking his head. „No way."

Liz rolled her eyes and followed the young man into an alley.

He suddenly slowed down his steps and shoved his hand into his jeans pocket before turning around and suddenly holding a switchblade knife in his hand.

Liz took a big step toward him, snapping him by the collar and throwing him against the nearby wall.

Puck started barking wildly and tugged at his leash.

„Don't even think about it, Curtis," she hissed into the man's ear and he groaned when she twisted his hand so much that he dropped the weapon to the ground.

„Who are you," he groaned among deafening barks of the dog.

„I'm your worst nightmare if you just get near Keira again," Liz growled and twisted his hand even more. „Or if you ever look at her ever again. Do you understand me?"

Curtis gasped for air and furled his brows. „Yes," he groaned as the Belgian Shepherd growled with bared teeth. „Yeah, I understood you."

She let Curtis go again and picked up the switchblade knife and shoved it into the coat pocket. „Very nice. I take that. And if you don't stay away from the girl, I won't be so nice anymore."

„I'll find and kill you and your fucking pooch," Curtis roared while holding his sore right arm.

Liz took the lash from Chaz again and smiled at Curtis wryly. „I can't wait."

Chaz followed the woman and looked at her skeptically. „Do you think it's a good idea to make even more enemies?"

Liz looked up to him and frowned. „What do I have to lose?"

He raised his shoulders and turned the corners of his mouth down. „Oh, I don't know. Maybe your life?"

She grinned broadly when her phone suddenly started ringing. She fished it out of her pocket and groaned as she looked on display.

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Maura stood in her daughter's kitchen and smiled broadly as she watched her wife sitting with Zane on the living room floor and playing with Legos.

They agreed to watch their grandson for the day while Liz and Adam were working, the more surprised she was when she found a teenager sitting on the couch with a shiner and a split lip.

Adam had explained to Jane and her that the girl was Keira Rubino who had been beaten by her adult boyfriend and that Liz didn't want Tim to see his daughter in such condition.

She glanced at the front door when she heard a being turned in the lock and immediately became serious as Liz and Adam entered their house.

She knew the second she saw her daughter's face that something went terribly wrong.

Liz glanced at the teenager who was still sitting on the couch and reading a magazine.

Maura saw Liz inhaling deeply and furrowing her brows as if she willed herself not to burst into tears. She went into the living room and stood next to Jane. „Zane, honey. What do you say about we both go to a toy store and see if we can find a potential birthday present for you?"

Jane's eyes shot up and she frowned deeply, but then she glanced at Liz and stood up while the boy squealed enthusiastically and ran up the stairs. „What's the matter?"

Adam sighed heavily and thrust his chin to the kitchen while Liz ignored her mother.

Jane hesitated for a second before joining him in the kitchen.

Liz took a deep breath and sat down on an armchair that stood close to the couch, staring at the teenager.

Keira frowned and raised her eyes a little. „Didn't your parents teach you that it's rude to stare at other people."

Liz licked her lips and sighed loudly as she placed her elbows on her knees. „Keira, I need to talk to you about something."

The girl's frown deepened and she placed the magazine next to her. „Who died?"

Liz hesitated and frowned as well. It wasn't the first time she had been in such a situation and yet it never got any easier. She took a deep breath and swallowed heavily. „This morning, paramedics and police had been called to your father's house after your neighbor noticed engine noise coming from the garage. They got access to it and found your dad in his car while the engine was running." She swallowed hard and set her jaw briefly. „Keira, I'm sorry but the paramedics couldn't do anything for him anymore."

The girl stared at her but didn't react at all. „My father's dead?"

Liz nodded slowly. „I'm afraid yes."

„So what now? Where am I supposed to stay now?"

The young detective hadn't expected such a reaction. She didn't really know what she actually expected, but certainly not a fifteen-year-old girl who worried about her future right after she got to know that her father just died. She had already dealt with children for whom the world shattered after they learned that they had become either semi-orphan or complete orphans. She looked long at Keira and frowned. „Do you have relatives with whom you can stay?"

Keira shook her head and wiped a tear off her cheek. „No, my mother was an only child and was on bad terms with her family because she was in a relationship with my father and his family still lives in Europe." She paused and laughed as tears streamed down her face. „I'm so fucked. My mom is dead and my dad is a coward who gassed himself, thinking about no one but himself. Because of that now I have to live with a damn foster family that cares about nothing but social welfare benefits."

„No," Liz suddenly said and shook her head. „No, you still have Adam and me."

„No offense, but I don't want to bother even more."

„You're not bothering us. Not at all."

Keira nodded slowly and hiccuped all of a sudden when she became aware of what kind of news Liz just told her.

Liz sighed, sat next to the teenager and pulled the girl into her arms when Keira started crying. Yes, that was the reaction she'd expected instead of being calm. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second and wondered why she actually worried so much about a girl she didn't know more than three days ago.

When she met Adam in front of Tim's house this morning, she had a bad feeling after seeing the ambulance driving away. She knew Tim was a devious son of a bitch, but she didn't have the impression that he would be suicidal. And even if she did, she would have suspected that he would put a bullet in his head instead of choosing such a protracted and painful death. Moreover, the time of the alleged suicide seemed rather strange to her. And on top of that, it was also strange that there was no suicide note to be found near Tim or in the house.

She rubbed Keira's back soothingly and frowned deeply. „Everything's gonna be okay," she whispered gently and the girl clung to her. „I promise."

„It's just a nightmare, right," the girl mumbled and sobbed. „I'll wake up any minute, right?"

Liz sighed again and broke the hug, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. „Honey, I wish this would be just a nightmare."

Keira held her gaze and shook her head. „I told him so many times that I hate him and that I'd wish that he would be dead instead of my mother, but I didn't mean it."

Liz heaved a sigh and frowned deeply. „Sometimes, when people are mad, they say things they don't really mean."

„I loved my dad. I should've told him."

„He knew it, Keira. He knew that you loved him."

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„We should've talked about it," Adam growled when he emerged from the bathroom, gritting his teeth.

Liz followed him and ran her hand through her wet hair. „This isn't the first time my parents have helped us with a case. And the timing of Tim's alleged suicide is more than -"

„I'm not talking about that," Adam cut her off and straightened up. „I'm talking about Keira."

Liz pursed her lips and glanced almost provocatively at him. „What about her?"

„Don't you think you should've talked to me about taking her in before you made this decision?"

She furrowed her brows and frowned a little. „She's my -" She stopped and scowled at Adam as he raised his brows. „She's a fifteen-year-old teenager who just lost her father, Adam. What was I supposed to do? Watching how such a young girl into a rotten system?"

He pointed at his chest and had to suppress the urge to start yelling when his anger bubbled up. „First of all, you should've talked to me about taking in a teenage girl we barely know!"

„She's -"

„Keira's what? Your sister?"

„Don't be ridiculous," the young woman growled through gritted teeth. „And even though I'd call her my sister ... It would ... You know I'd do anything for my family."

„Do I," he asked and raised his brows high. „The only thing I do know is that the last time you did something for your family was running away and disappearing for five years and that you didn't even care how we were doing."

Liz gasped and straightened up as soon as his words hit her, words who hurt more than stabbing her heart with a sandwich knife and twisting it slowly. „Do you really think I made that decision that easily?" She paused and pointed at herself with furrowed brows. „That I woke up that night and decided to leave you and Zane behind? She now pointed with tears in her eyes at his side of the bed. „When I had to leave I was sitting there for almost three hours and had to fight with myself not to wake you because you were fast asleep. I knew if I'd leave the house, there would be no turning back. And because I was damn sure it would be the last time I'd see you and Zane. You have absolutely no idea how many times to book a flight ticket back to Boston and explain to you what had happened. You have to idea how many nights I was sitting on my couch with my phone in my had and how I had to force myself not to call you because I knew that it wouldn't undo anything. I did this to get you and our son out of the line of fire, Adam."

„What gave you the right," Adam suddenly asked a little louder and furled his brows. „What gave you the right to decide what's best for Zane and me? You know, because I'm not a child anymore, Liz. I risk my life every day. What would have been if something had happened to me in the time you were living in California? How should our families explained to Zane that I wouldn't come home anymore and that they don't know where his mother is?" He shook his head when she tried to answer his questions. „No, don't you dare saying that you did it to protect us. It's just a putoff, Liz. You took the first opportunity to run away because that's what you've always done when you've been unable to cope with a situation." Adam walked past his wife and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't know why his pent-up anger suddenly bubbled up to the surface now, but he was sure that the fact that Liz decided that Keira could live with them without asking him for his opinion was the reason. „Did you really think that neither Zane nor I would come out of all of this unscathed?"

Liz looked long at him with big eyes and asked in a husky voice, „What does that mean?"

He raised his shoulders and turned to her, knowing that she didn't ask what he mean with his own question but what he thought they'd stand right now. „I don't know what it means, Elizabeth. I can't tell what's gonna happen to us. I thought -" He trailed off and glanced long at her. „I love you, but it's a fact that I can't trust you anymore. Every time when a new problem gets in our way, I expect to wake up the next morning and that you are gone again. I can't live like this forever, Liz. I can't live a life in anxious."

Liz looked long at him with tears in her eyes and furrowed her brows before closing them briefly. „I love you from the bottom of my heart, Adam. I'm not going anywhere anymore."

Adam stood in front of her and lifted his hands as if he was about to run them down her arms, but then he hesitated and dropped them again. „I wish I could believe you, Elizabeth," he replied, but this time there was no anger in his voice but sadness.

She gasped loudly and a tear ran down her cheek as she closed her eyes once more.

Adam sighed loudly, went to their bed and folded the blanket back. „We should get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Liz swallowed hard and also went to the bed while she wiped off her tears. „Yes," she croaked. „Let's get some sleep.

He hesitated for a second before lay down and turned his back on her, turning off the bedside lamp."

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Leslie took a big sip from her water bottle and frowned as she realized that her best friend was still not done with the bench press. As soon as they became friends she immediately knew that she couldn't keep up with the brunette conditionally, but at the same time, she had learned that Liz only exerted herself when she was sad about something, or angry, or when she was angry about something that saddened her. Liz had told her that she and Adam had an argument about Keira last night, which the redhead could understand, but her friend hadn't gone into details.

She grabbed her towel and dabbed her sweaty forehead. „Okay, what's going on?"

„I told you," Liz grunted while she kept pressing the weight. „Adam and I had a fight if you can call it an argument."

„About Keira."

„Yep, among other things."

The redhead frowned deeply. „What does that suppose to mean?"

Liz lifted the weight on the bracket and sat up. „Adam told me didn't trust me anymore right after we had sex in the shower."

The redhead made a face and threw Liz's towel at her friend. „You're direct, that's refreshing and I love it because you obviously inherited from Maura, but I didn't need that picture in my head."

Liz smiled weakly and rubbed her neck with the towel, frowning. „I'll be happy to tell her that you like my candor."

Leslie smiled but then she got serious again and leaned against a

Backbone. „So Adam broke up with you?"

Liz frowned loudly and frowned. „You are supposed to know Adam and I can't just break up that easily."

The redhead rolled her eyes. „Liz!"

„Yes," the other woman admitted reluctantly, slumping her shoulders. „I mean, I think so. What would you think if Chaz would tell you that he doesn't know what'll happen with your relationship?"

Leslie shrugged and blinked a few times. „That he needs some time to think?"

Liz frowned deeply again and glanced at her in disbelief."Then your husband is a terrible slow thinker when he needs more than half a year to come to a realization."

„If you wouldn't be my best friend, I'd be really offended right now," the redhead replied and Liz smiled a little."You have to understand that Adam is in a conflict right now, Liz. He thought for years that you were dead and then you just reappeared out of nowhere and turned his whole life upside down again."

Liz stood up from the bench and furled her brows. „It's not exactly like I've planned any of this."

„Well, you kinda did."

„How so?"

„You planned your disappearance."

„Yes, but not that Waterston would be killed and Chaz almost beat to death. Or that I'd almost go to jail or a nut house."

Leslie inhaled deeply and followed her best friend. „I know that, Liz. And you can believe me when I say that each of us had been think of better ways to see you again." She paused and glanced long at the other woman. „What are you going to do now?"

Liz looked surprised at her and furled her brows. „I'm gonna go take a shower now, then I'm changing for work."

„Actually, I meant what you're gonna do about your relationship with Adam now."

The brunette paused and inhaled deeply. „I don't know, Leslie. I don't even know if we still have a relationship I have to fight about. I can understand him, though. This time I really overstepped the mark."

„Because you offered shelter to a fifteen-year-old girl whose father just killed himself?"

„Because I made that decision without talking about it to him first." Liz paused and set her jaw for a second. „If I'd be in his shoes, I'd probably get tired of all of this, too."

Leslie sighed loudly and nodded slowly. „Yeah, probably you're right."

„Can we take a shower now?" The brunette rolled her eyes as she saw Leslie's skeptical look. „You know what I meant."

„Sometimes I am not so sure," the redhead replied and Liz chuckled.

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„Suicide my ass," Jane grumbled as she sat down on the edge of Liz's desk and crossed her arms over her chest.

Maura stood with a file in her hand in front of her wife, Liz, and Adam while they listened closely to her.

„You sure, Maura, "Adam wanted to know and frowned deeply.

Liz furled her brows and grunted when Maura opened her mouth to answer his question.

Adam closed his eyes for a moment before glaring at her.

Maura looked briefly at her wife, who also noticed the tense mood, and then nodded. „Yes, Rose found traces of chloroform in Tim's nostrils. That definitively rules out suicide."

„Unless Tim chloroformed himself, then dragged himself into the garage, sealed all the windows of the car, connected the exhaust and the driver's cab with a garden hose before sitting down and waiting to suffocate," Liz noted, holding Adam's gaze and quirking a brow.

Jane was about to reply when her daughter said that and she closed her mouth instantly.

Adam smiled tightly. „Thank you, Detective."

Liz crossed her arms over her chest and raised her brows almost arrogantly. „You're very welcome, Sergeant."

Jane was almost fascinated by the exchange of both and frowned deeply. „I can't imagine that it's a coincidence that Tim gets killed right after he got in touch with Liz."

„Thank God I've never been in his house before. Otherwise, they'd try to pin that on me, too," Liz stated and sat down at her desk.

Adam wanted to protest loudly.

„CSU didn't find your fingerprints on the car or on the garden hose," Jane got there first and he snapped his mouth shut again. „But I also have the feeling that this was another failed attempt to pin Tim's murder on you."

Liz took a deep breath and glanced long at Maura. „How exactly did Rose get the idea to check his nostrils for chemicals?"

Maura pursed her lips and pointed to the tip of her own nose. „Rose was performing the autopsy when I noticed small abrasions right under his nose. I asked her if she'd swab the nostrils, too."

Jane smiled broadly and dropped her chin to her chest.

Liz rolled her eyes with a grin.

„Of course you noticed something like this," Adam chuckled before he sighed.

Jane laughed briefly and Liz put her hand over her mouth to hide her bigger grin.

They all knew that Rose Blythe was a really good ME, but also that she was still young and inexperienced and grateful for any help that she could get so she wouldn't make any mistakes.

Adam liked her, though, and so did Liz.

Maura rolled her eyes and shook her head. „Rose is a very good ME."

„Of course you're saying that," Jane said all of a sudden.

„You were the one who earmarked her for the job," Adam added and raised his brows.

Liz almost smiled smugly. „Besides, you were the one who trained her."

Maura opened her mouth to disagree, but then she had to laugh because she knew she had no chance if the three ganged up against her.

At least the tense atmosphere had vanished for a moment.

Liz knew immediately that Maura got their number when she saw the blonde staring intensely at her and cleared her throat. „Um, I go and get a coffee. I'll be back in a few."

„I'll come with you," Maura stated and the young woman stopped before she nodded and started walking again.

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Liz was standing at the counter in Foley's, waiting for her order.

A week already had passed by since Tim's murder but they still couldn't figure out who was behind all of this. Not yet.

She turned a little so the man who was staring at her wouldn't make a move on her while she was waiting for the drinks.

She still had to get used to the fact that her former favorite pub was now called Foley's and that it was supposed to appeal the younger people of Boston and proximity.

She had asked her cousin Sam if he could babysit Zane and Keira because Adam met with some of his friends and she needed an evening off to regain power.

The situation between Adam and her hadn't improved. On the contrary, it was draining.

One evening, Adam suddenly stated that he would sleep in the second guest room which Liz vehemently refused and then she was the one who moved out of the main bedroom.

From that moment on the two had only told the most necessary things to each other.

Liz felt like she was just an unwanted housemate who refused to move out of the house.

That's why she needed this evening, to become herself again, even without her husband in her life.

Liz heard the front door of the pub opening and closing and the atmosphere in the pub changed instantly.

She didn't have to turn to the door to know who just entered Foley's. „Perfect," she murmured before she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

„Can I buy you a beer?"

„No," she replied emphatically but smiled a little. „I've already placed my order.

Adam sat down on the bar stool next to her and thanked the bartender as he put two bottles of beer on the counter, grabbing one of them. He glanced at it and downed half of the content.

Liz turned her head to him and raised her brows in surprise. „Actually that was Leslie's."

He glanced to there table where Leslie and four other women were sitting and raised the bottle at her with a broad grin and the redhead rolled annoyed her eyes. „Well, now it's mine."

„Charming," she replied and quirked a brow. „I thought you'd spend the night with your own friends."

Adam nodded and ran his hand over the designer stubble. „I was. I'm on my way home and am here for a nightcap."

„And Leslie's beer just forced itself on you?"

Adam could see the sadness in her eyes. He let his eyes wander down on her and frowned a little because she was only wearing plain jeans and a blue hoodie. He knew that Liz and he were trying to avoid to talk to each other, but this moment it didn't seem right. „You okay?"

Liz looked long at him and took a deep breath before she nodded. „Yeah, I'm okay."

He also nodded and paused for a second. „Somehow it's weird that we suck so much when it comes to small talk."

Liz opened her mouth to reply something, but then she smiled and shrugged.

Adam sighed loudly and scratched his chin. „It's also strange that we see each other every day for hours and aren't even able to ask how the other is feeling."

Liz sipped her beer and licked her lips. „I'm just trying to give you the space you need."

„Yeah," he agreed, rolling his bottle between his hands. „I know. Maura talked to me, though. About us and our marriage."

She furled briefly her eyebrows and then shook her head. „She shouldn't have done that."

„That was more pleasant than the talk with Jane. That was more like a root canal."

Liz looked long at him and frowned. „Ma talked to you too?"

Adam nodded and thanked the bartender once again. „Yep, three days ago. She wanted to know what had happened to us. I told her the facts and she wanted to know if I've lost my mind and if I want you to run away again."

She groaned and dropped her chin to her chest. „I'm so sorry about that."

„Nah, don't be sorry," he replied and waved his hand, „I survived worse."

„Oh God," she groaned again and buried her face in her hands. „I can't tell you how sorry I am about all of this."

Adam grinned broadly and leaned in a little. „I'll tell you again, don't be sorry." He frowned and thrust his chin discreetly in the direction of a booth. „The three guys over there are staring the whole time at you, trying to figure out who's gonna be the first who gets brushed off."

Liz glanced at the booth and spotted a group of three young men who indeed were staring at her and she furled her brows. „They're still kids, twenty-two at most."

He turned the corners of his mouth downward and shrugged. „It just shows once again that there's no man you can't have."

Liz paused and her eyes feel briefly to his lips. „The man I want doesn't want me anymore."

„Liz -" he replied and set his jaw for a moment.

„Yes," she cut him off and inhaled deeply. „I know I shouldn't say that and give you the space you want, but I can't just turn off my feelings for you."

Adam hesitated before he placed his hand on hers. „Yeah, I know. I know what you're meaning."

Liz automatically intertwined her fingers with his and glanced at their hands as he ran his thumb over hers. „I have the feeling that there's a big but coming."

Adam looked seriously with a frown at her. „My common sense tells me that we will always hurt each other."

„That's not a but," she whispered in a husky voice and held his gaze.

He took a deep breath and leaned in again. Not to whisper something to her, but to kiss her. „But I don't care because I can't turn off my feelings for you either, Liz."

Liz looked him in the eye and smiled broadly and relieved.

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 _She followed Chaz with a deep frown. „You don't have to do this, I can handle it myself."_

 _Chaz rolled his eyes and looked long and dourly at her. „I'll keep my eyes glued to you. When we're done, we go to Adam's together and tell him that you're back in town."_

 _She slowed her steps and raised her eyebrows. „We're not gonna do that, Charles."_

 _He stopped abruptly and frowned. He knew that it hardly ever happened that his friend called him by his full name unless she either wanted to ram something down his throat or convince him of something. „Liz -"_

 _„Listen," she whispered sharply and stepped closer to her friend. „Adam and my parents can't know that I was in Boston. They can't even know that we've met."_

 _„You can't ask that from me," Chaz whispered back and ran his hand over his short hair. „He's my best friend. And he's a wreck because he thinks you're dead. Let me tell him that your okay when you're on your way back to California."_

 _Liz placed her hands on his shoulders and swallowed hard. „Please don't do it. I'm begging you. If you tell Adam that you saw me, you're putting him and yourself in danger. I could never forgive myself if something happens to one of you."_

 _„What have you gotten yourself into," Chaz asked worriedly and frowned deeply._

 _Liz dropped her hands again and licked her lips. „Into something very bad. I'll tell you when it's over."_

 _„Then let's get started so that you get back home quickly," he stated and started moving again._

 _Liz blinked a few times and furrowed her brows. „I didn't mean it that way, Chaz."_

 _„I hope you don't think that I'll let you down while you're in Boston, do you?"_

 _She sighed loudly and followed him. „Actually that's what I was hoping."_

 _„Liz, I'm already a big boy who can take care of himself and his family. You don't have to worry about me." He laughed when he saw her worried expression and turned into a dark alley, pausing abruptly. „Oh, fuck!"_

 _„What is it?" Liz wanted to know and sucked the air sharply into her lungs as she spotted a man lying lifelessly on the ground._

 _Chaz glanced with big eyes at her and frowned once again. „Is this the guy you were supposed to meet?"_

 _She crouched down and checked if the older man still had a pulse. She looked into wide opened eyes and knew instantly that this man needed an ME and no paramedics. „Yes," she answered and looked up. „This is James Waterston. My former colleague."_

 _„Is he -"_

 _„Yeah, he's dead," she stated when he trailed off and took a look at her bloody hand, knowing immediately that she just made a huge mistake. She turned her head to the right when she heard the clattering of a can. „Chaz."_

 _Chaz shoved his phone back into his pocket, saying before he ran off, „I got him!"_

 _Liz got up to her feet again and joined the chase. She immediately regretted that she had neglected her daily runs the last week._

 _She panted heavily and ran around the next corner, furling her brows because she wondered where her friend and the other person had gone. „Chaz," she muttered and turned around when she heard steps behind her coming closer and the next thing she felt was a sharp pain that spread through her skull and then there was nothing but darkness._

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 _Liz came to herself slowly but surely and groaned because she still had this piercing headache. She furled her brows as she realized something warm and sticky was running down her left cheek._

 _Her eyes shot open when she tried to wipe the substance off and noticed that her hands were tied with duct tape. Her mouth was also taped shut with it._

 _Panic spread through her and she tried to free her hands, in vain._

 _She didn't know exactly where she was, but she was aware that this wouldn't end well if she wouldn't get free._

 _She felt like throwing up and her head was spinning while she tried to figure out what was happening right now._

 _Liz heard a faint groan and turned her head to find the source._

 _She whimpered loudly as she had to watch how a young, bold man beat and kicked Chaz who was also lying on the ground. He was battered and she wondered for how long she was out._

 _Chaz glanced at her and tried to crawl to her when he saw her eyes open. „Liz," he mumbled with a broken jaw and an unnatural sound escaped from his throat when the stranger kicked him once more, hard._

 _Liz cried out loud when her friend stopped moving but the man didn't stop kicking him. She knew that he was about to kill Chaz, she knew that she would be the reason why Damian would grow up without a father, that she'd be the reason why Leslie was going to be a widow._

 _At least she wanted to tell Chaz that she was sorry for getting him into this situation. She hoped that he could forgive her when they'd meet again on the other side._

 _A second, older man crouched down in front of her and took a deep breath as he pulled a syringe out of his pocket. He paused and wiped the tear off Liz's cheek that ran down her cheek without her permission. „I wish we'd have met under different circumstances, Elizabeth."_

 _The panic came back again when he said her name and because of the way he was looking at her._

 _She knew that she wouldn't get out of this alive, she realized it when he put the syringe into her thigh._

 _Liz took a deep breath when she felt the injection spreading through her system and glanced long at the stranger._

 _That was not how she'd imagined her passing._

 _She'd always thought that she would get the chance to tell those she loved most goodbye before her time had come. She since the day she was in a relationship with Adam she thought that they'd grow old together._

 _She closed briefly her eyes at that thought. She also thought about Zane and the other children she would never have._

 _She also wouldn't get the chance to tell her husband what happened before she got herself killed._

 _„Adam will understand," the man suddenly said and Liz's eyes shot open again. „And Zane will forgive you eventually." He freed her wrists from the duct tape with a buck knife and removed the strip over her mouth, holding the knife right in front of her eyes. „Remember that? You thought you lost this in Clairemont during an investigation." He paused and grinned broadly. „Well, actually, my buddy Cody stole it from you. We're pretty thorough and my boss wants to send a loud and clear message to your mommies."_

 _Liz tried to move her limbs and to get out of this miserable situation herself, but neither legs nor arms obeyed._

 _„Don't even try," he laughed. „The stuff I injected into your leg is pretty good."_

 _„I will seek you out," she growled through clenched teeth but she realized that she also slurred and several names of neuroleptics shot through her mind. „find you and kill you if you lay a finger on my family."_

 _He eyes her intensely and heaved a sigh. „Nope, I don't think so," he replied and tapped the knife point against his bottom lip._

 _„You don't have to do this, she whispered emphatically, furrowing her brows._

 _He sighed again and tilted his head to the side. „Oh, sweetie, I wish you'd be right, really. But if I don't do my job and let you go, I'm the one who ends up in the morgue, and I really don't have that in mind." Liz hissed sharply ass he dragged the blade of the knife vertically over her right wrist. He glanced with a frown at her. „I'm sorry but in my game, it's eat or be eaten."_

 _She closed her eyes when she felt her blood spilling out of the deep cut. „You can't get away with this."_

 _„Oh, yes," he replied and repeated his previous action with her left wrist. „I will. You can't imagine what I've already gotten away."_

 _„Tim," the bold man named Cody suddenly said and the other man turned his attention to him while Liz forced her eyes open. „stop talking so much, you're not on a date. Just slash the bitch's throat open."_

 _„Shut the fuck up and mind your own fucking business," Tim suddenly barked and glanced at Liz with a smile. „You have to excuse him. He's a little ... impatient cuz he's new in the job."_

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Liz woke up with a start and a blood-curdling cry. She needed a second to realize that she was no longer in this alley. She panted heavily while beads of sweat ran down her back and forehead while she tried to shake off the hand she suddenly felt on her back.

Panic grabbed her throat again and she nearly jumped out of the bed.

Adam was wide awake the second he heard the cry and turned on his bedside lamp, sitting up too. „It's me," he said soothingly while his wife tried to get some space between them. „Hey, it's me, Liz. Look at me!"

Liz recognized his voice, but her mind tried to tell her that this was just an illusion, that she was still lying in the alley and bleeding to death. That she clung to some kind or memory so she wouldn't feel lonely while dying. She shook her head and clenched her eyes shut.

„Elizabeth, look at me!" Adam demanded and frowned a little when she finally met his eyes with hers. „It was just a nightmare!" He didn't move when she traced his face with her finger as if to make sure that he was real. „You hear me? It was just a nightmare. You're safe now! Nothing's gonna happen to you."

„It wasn't just a nightmare, Adam," she whispered in a husky voice and with tears in her eyes as she stared at her scarred wrists in disbelief. „It was a memory. I remembered what happened in that alley. The alley Chaz and I were supposed to -" She trailed off and furrowed her brows. „It was Tim."

Adam looked questioningly at her. „What was Tim?" He skidded closer when she didn't answer him immediately. „Elizabeth, what was Tim? What did he do?"

She hesitated before she looked at him again, furrowing her brows even more. „He wanted to kill Chaz and me."

Adam's eyes widened when he started to understand what his wife just told him and felt like he was about to throw up.


	16. Chapter 16

„Thanks for stopping by," Adam said when he closed the front door again. „She just couldn't calm down and she asked me not to call Chaz."

Sam Rizzoli nodded slowly and took off his jacket. „Not a problem at all, Ruby's watching Keira and Zane while I'm gone." He glanced at his watch and frowned deeply. „At this hour, they should be asleep."

Adam didn't smile when he grabbed Sam's arm in the hallway. „Hey, I really owe you one."

„I'll call it in at some point," the younger man replied before entering the living room. He took a deep breath when he saw his cousin sitting on the couch looking like a picture of misery with a teacup in her hand.

He sat down on the two-seater to give her enough space. „Hey there."

Liz didn't look at him, but he realized that she tear-dimmed eyes. „I told Adam not to call anyone," she whispered into the mug with a deep frown.

„Well, yeah," Sam replied and lifted his shoulders. „I'm not anyone. I am the one you talk to when you feel miserable. That's how it always was."

She was about to lift the mug to her lips but then she glared at him. "I certainly don't need your twaddle right now, Sammy."

He raised his hands and smiled a little. „What's the matter anyway? Adam called and told me that you were about to freak totally out. Did he want to do any pervert stuff while the kids are away? Want me to beat him up for that and then throwing him outta here? I'll do it without batting an eyelash. You know that, right?"

Liz glanced at him and smiled broadly. Sam and TJ were the only ones who didn't hold her sudden disappearance against her. „You don't have to kick him out of the house, but thanks for the offer."

He smiled back at her but turned serious again. „So, what's going on?"

Liz sighed heavily and sipped her tea. „It's nothing. It's stupid."

„Lizzy."

„It was just a fucking nightmare. Really, it's nothing."

„If you start swearing like that, it can't be just a nightmare."

She pressed her lips tightly together and stared into her steaming mug. „I really hate that you know me so well."

„We grew up together, remember? It would be a bad thing if I wouldn't know you," Sam replied and crossed his legs. He frowned as she looked at him skeptically. „Are you expecting me to blame you for disappearing for years?"

Liz furrowed her brows and nodded approvingly. „Kinda, yeah."

He shook his head and was about to get up. „You've come to the wrong person then, Liz. I won't support you in beating up yourself for something you can't undo anymore."

She frowned deeply and licked her lips. „I remembered the night when Chaz and I were lured into the trap in the alley."

„Was it the first time you remembered it," the younger man wanted to know and sat down again as she nodded slowly.

Liz put the cup on the coffee table and stared straight ahead. „Yes and no." She rolled her eyes when she caught his confused gaze. „Every now and then I remembered fragmentarily what had happened, but mostly these memories did not make much sense. Tonight was different as if someone had finally lifted the veil."

Sam skidded a little closer and listened attentively. „And that threw you off the track?"

„How would you feel if you suddenly realize that the man, who tried to kill you, is your begetter," Liz hissed sharply and scowled at her cousin.

Sam blinked a few times and looked at her as if she was about to lose her mind. „You're talking about this Tom guy?"

„Tim," Liz corrected him but nodded and placed her elbows on her knees. „Yes, Timothy Rubino. He's the reason why I'm sitting here today. And he was almost the reason why my parents would've to bury me, and he enjoyed it."

Sam let the latest information sink in and his face darkened. „The scumbag's lucky to be dead already, otherwise I'd pay him a visit right away."

„So your father could blame me for you being in prison?"

„Hey, our parents have taught us never to mess with the Rizzoli family if you are not insane."

She stared at him before she started laughing heartily. „That's so very true."

He chuckled but turned serious again. „Liz, none of us have always made the right choices in our lives. Even our parents once did things they're still not proud of."

„Did their decisions almost killed one of their best friends," Liz asked and raised her brows.

The younger man frowned and blinked several times. „I ... can't answer that question."

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath. „I thought so."

Sam ran his hand over his stubbles and then he patted her knee. „Gonna tell me what exactly your dream was about?"

„I hope you brought a hell of time with you."

Sam raised his shoulders and smirked. „We'll see."

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Liz regretted that she'd called her mothers in the morning and that she told them that remembered pieces of the night when Waterston was killed. She also regretted that she'd thoughtlessly mentioned that Tim Rubino had a significant part of that event. She should have known that Jane would be on her way right after she hung up

„Damnit, listen to me," Jane stated louder and followed her annoyed daughter into the kitchen.

Liz rolled her eyes while she put her breakfast bowl in the sink. „No, I won't."

„I only want what's best for you and your family!"

The younger woman leaned against the kitchen counter and licked her lips with a deep frown. „Adam and I decide what's best for our family, Ma."

„The man tried to kill you," Jane shouted all of a sudden and had big eyes.

„What the girl didn't know," shouted back and furrowed her brows. „Do you think Keira knew about what her dad was doing and helped Tim to invade my life. She was just a means to an end for him to get back to us, Mom and me!"

„And that worked just fine, didn't it?"

Liz scoffed and shook her head with a sarcastic smile.

„Do you really think that the time of Waterston's murder was purely coincidental, Elizabeth?" Jane continued and frowned deeply. „As soon as the girl was lodged with you, Tim got killed and you decided that she's going to live with you. That is anything but coincidence. That is calculation."

„I will not send Keira away just because you are paranoid. Because you think everything is a big fat conspiracy," the young woman replied relentlessly.

„Listen to me just for once, kid!"

„No!" Liz shouted again and pointed angrily at her mother. „No, I am not listening to you when it comes to that. And stop calling me kid because I am no longer a child. Keira is -"

„What's Keira?" Jane growled low and rounded the counter. „What is Keira?"

„Keira is my responsibility," Liz finally finished the sentence and she felt as a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. „She's family."

„No," Jane growled once more and shook her head. „No, she is not family. You, Mom and I are family. Adam, Zane and you are family. She is just a girl you met two weeks ago."

Liz set her jaw and her face darkened. „You're right, Ma. She's not your family, but mine. Like it or not but she is my little sister and I won't shunt her off to a random foster family where's just an unwanted appurtenance. Did I -" She trailed off when someone loudly cleared their throat.

She turned to the front door and her heart sank as she saw Adam standing in the hallway with Zane and Keira. Liz exhaled loudly when the girl glanced long at her and she closed her eyes when Keira walked straight to the stairs. „Great," she growled and followed the teenager up the stairs.

She stopped at the closed bedroom door and swallowed hard before entering the guest room which was currently used as Keira's.

Liz frowned deeply when she watched the teenager packing her backpack. „I didn't want you to know it that way."

The girl didn't look at her and her body language was rather rejecting. „You wanted to say that you didn't me to know that ever." She stopped and straightened up. „That's why you're doing all of this for me, right? Because we have the same father because now I am your responsibility."

The older brunette shook her head and took a step forward. „I do all of this because I want to." She paused and inhaled deeply. „But yes, I also do this because we have the same father. Because we're related."

„That doesn't make us a family," the teenager grumbled over her shoulder.

Liz turned the corners of her mouth downward but raised her brows, closing the door. „You are right, it doesn't make us a family. And I don't expect you to see me as your big sister, not at all. But I learned at a very young age that it doesn't matter if the relatives can stand each other or not, that the only thing that matters is that the family is there for each other when you need them most." She furrowed her brows as Keira kept packing her things. „And like it or not, Keira, we are related."

„Did you know you have brothers and sisters?"

Liz understood where this question was coming from and sat down on Keira's bed, putting the backpack to the side. „It would have been naive of me to think that I'd be the only one who was generated from this batch number. I was always aware that there must be other people who have the same ... begetter like me. So, yeah, I always knew that there are strangers out there who have partly the same DNA than me, but I didn't know that you and your father live in Boston."

The teen inhaled deeply and glanced long at her, swallowing hard. „Would it have changed anything if you'd have known about me before?"

The older brunette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and frowned once more. „Yes, it would have changed everything, Keira."

Keira sat down next to her and avoided Liz's eyes. „Ever since I knew that my dad had more children than just me, I kept trying to imagine how my dad had ... and how his other children would be like. But the more time passed and the older I got, I realized that the others might not have any interest in us at all -"

Liz nodded as Keira trailed off and turned her head. „Many people don't really know that they aren't the biological child of the man they call Dad their entire life. And if they do know, they have to decide for themselves whether they want to make contact or not. And then there are people who are grateful but simply want to continue to live their lives. If they are not the curious kind of person."

„What kind of person are you?"

„I am one of those people who are well aware where I'm coming from. And I am the type of person who keeps digging."

The teen scoffed and looked long at her. „Is that why you became a cop?"

Liz smiled briefly and nodded with raised brows. „Because of that and because my Ma looked badass with a badge and a gun." She got serious again and handed the girl the backpack. „I could understand if you still want to leave. I ... um ... I could make some calls and make sure that you get a place in a pretty good residential group."

Keira stared at the bag and heaved a sigh. „I could stay here for a little longer?"

Liz couldn't help the small smile. „Sure."

The girl sighed again. „So I have a nephew?"

„Yep, you've met him before. Six years old, dark hair, brown eyes, sometimes a little nag." She inhaled deeply and stood up again. „I'll leave you alone so you can proceed the news."

Keira nodded and tried to smile, and failed.

Liz closed the door behind her and closed her eyes. They snapped open again when she heard someone running up the stairs, blocking their way. She caught her son as he tried to push past her, looking sternly at him. „And what do you think you're going, young man?"

He squirmed in her arms and frowned a little. „I say hi to my new auntie."

Liz quirked a brow. „You've said many times hi to her. Besides, Keira isn't a pet, Zane."

„It's okay," Keira stated when she stuck her head out. „Zane can come in."

Liz rolled her eyes and put her son back down before kissing his head. „Be nice," she whispered.

Adam sat down at the kitchen counter and turned his head when he heard her walking down. „She's still talking to you?"

Liz sat down next to him and accepted the steaming coffee mug he shoved to her with a sigh. „Yeah, she's still talking to me. I'm actually not sure if she's aware that she's not alone in the world anymore." She groaned and ran her hands over the face. „Actually I wanted to go for a run before you come back home, or at least go for an hour to the gym."

„We can still do some sport," he suddenly replied and placed his hand on her thigh.

Liz quirked a brow and put her mug back down, turning her head slowly. „Now? When the kids are home?"

„Well ... yeah," he groaned and dropped his chin to his chest when he caught her skeptical glance. „I already knew that it would get more difficult when you got pregnant with Zane. But before that, we were able to ... When I think of what we've done on this counter -"

Liz choked on her coffee when he trailed off and looked at him with big eyes, wiping her chin. „I think we better keep that for ourselves, otherwise Zane and Keira are going to refuse to eat," she laughed heartily.

He eyes the surface of the counter and nodded in agreement. „Yeah, you're probably right about that."

She smirked and patted his cheek. „What's the matter with you today anyway? Normally people think that I am the sex addicted."

He frowned and shrugged. „Can't I seduce my wife?"

She trailed his jawline with her fingers and smiled a little. „Of course you can." She got serious again and furrowed her brows. „Have you and the kids had breakfast yet?"

Adam blinked a few times and frowned deeply. He didn't know exactly what had happened. „Um ... Yes, we had pancakes on our way home." He lifted his hands when she quirked a brow. „I had to decide whether giving in or listening to whining all the time."

Liz rolled her eyes. „Sammy lives only half an hour away from here."

Adam made a face. „That can be a damn long drive." He stopped and pulled her chair closer. „Speaking of thirty minutes -"

„Hmm," Liz crooned and wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned forward and smiled when he finally kissed her.

He leaned his forehead against hers and looked her deep in the eye. „That was more than overdue."

She smiled and nodded. He was right since they had met at Foley's, they hadn't kissed.

Adam sighed in relief and frowned. „Are you going to the precinct today?"

Liz nodded again and took a deep breath. „Yes, I'm going to meet with a sketch artist so we can put a 'photo' of Cody finally out in hope that anyone recognizes him."

He eyed his wife for a moment. „You're not going to tell me what your dream was about, are you?"

„You know by and large what I dreamed of, Adam."

„But not the whole story."

She swallowed hard and furrowed her brows. „I'll tell you another time."

„Liz -"

„Not today," she whispered against his lips, almost begged. „Please, Adam."

He heaved a sigh and nodded slowly. „Not today, but at some point, we have to talk about it."

She held his gaze and set her jaw because she knew that he was right and that she had to tell him what had happened in the alley about at some point. She drew her attention to the clock and took a deep breath. „I'll meet with the sketch artist in two hours. I should get ready."

Adam inhaled deeply and frowned. „Since when do you need two hours -" He stopped talking when she scowled at him. „I'm just wondering,"

Liz smirked broadly before she gave him a chased kiss and before she climbed the stairs up again.

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Sam entered the bullpen and stopped dead when he saw his cousin sitting at her desk. „I thought today you're off."

Liz didn't look up to him while studying the sketch in front of her. „So did I."

„Then what the hell are you doing here?"

„Can't I just show up somewhere without justifying my presence anymore?" The woman growled and glared at him.

Sam slurped his instant soup and raised his brows. „Hey, I'm the last person you have to explain why you're still here. I'm just asking because last night you mentioned that you finally want to spend some time with your husband and your child. To make up for the lost time. Remember?"

She leaned back and briefly closed her eyes. „I didn't mean to snap at you."

„It's all right," he replied, stepping closer to her desk. „Do you know this guy?" He frowned when he spots her skeptical gaze. „Perhaps before you bumped into him in the alley?"

Liz rubbed her temples and sighed loudly. „His face looks familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it."

„Maybe you arrested him?"

„Perhaps, but -"

„You put too many behind bars in your career?"

„No ... yes."

Sam chuckled and sat down at the former desk of his father. „You know of whom you remind me?"

„Do I wanna know that?"

„You remind me of Jane."

Liz blinked a few times and furrowed her brows. „Is that a good thing?"

He smiled wryly. „Yes ... and no."

„Well ... thanks for that input."

„Being a Rizzoli sometimes sucks," he sighed and leaned back in the chair.

Liz scrutinized him for a moment. „Why would you say that?"

Sam smiled weakly and shrugged. „Because we Rizzoli's tend to make more enemies than friends."

She knew that this wasn't the whole story but decided to let that topic go for now. „I guess you're right."

He studied her for some time. „Can I ask you a question?"

Liz opened a file on her desk and furrowed her brows. „Sure."

„Why didn't you take the job at the FBI?"

She hesitated for a moment and avoided eye contact. „Is there a particular reason why you're asking me that, Sammy?"

Sam shrugged and frowned. „I'm just a curious person."

She looked up and smirked. „Yeah, sure," she laughed and placed the file back on the desk.

„Well," her cousin asked again. „why didn't you take the job?"

Liz sighed heavily, closed the file and turned her chair to him. „I can't tell you why. Perhaps it was because at that time I was assigned to another operation. Maybe because then I'd agree to stay in California. I can't tell you why I didn't take the job." She paused and frowned. „Are you telling me why you're asking this now?"

He hesitated for a moment and glanced at the door to his father's office. „The agency turned to me, they want to recruit me."

Liz's eyes grew huge and she slipped a little forward in her seat. „But that's great." She lowered her brows and tugged in her chin when she saw his expression. „Or isn't it?"

Sam sighed loudly and ran his hands through his hair. „Sure it's a huge opportunity and a huge leap for my career -"

„Are you hesitating because of your dad?"

He sighed once again and glanced seriously at her. „Yeah, because of Dad and Mom and Ruby. I mean, I grew here, Lizzy. Boston is my home. How -"

„You want to ask how I was able to leave my family behind," she asked and scratched the back of her neck.

Sam inhaled deeply and nodded. „Yeah."

She scoffed and furrowed her brows. „You know that I didn't really have a choice, right? I left to protect Zane and Adam. You, on the other hand, don't have to leave without the chance to say goodbye to your parents and your girlfriend. They don't think that you had had enough of them." She frowned because she could see that he still needed a little push. „You have a unique opportunity here, Samuel. And besides, it doesn't automatically mean that you're working in Seattle."

„That'd be something," he suddenly laughed.

Liz grinned because she knew that Jane would freak out if her nephew would move to Seattle, not only because then he'd live on the other side of the country but also because it would be about the sporting aspect.

She placed her head on her hand and glanced at the man who was like a little brother to her. „Have you talked to Ruby about this yet?"

Sam made a face and scratched the back of his head. „Err -"

„Really," she blurted and wanted to punch him. „You have to make such a decision and talk about it instead of your girlfriend? Go talk to her, I'm sure she'll be thrilled?"

„How do you know that?"

„Because I know that Adam would have been thrilled under other circumstances."

„Yeah, but Ruby's not Adam, she's not a cop. She won't understand."

„Right," Liz replied and turned the corners of her mouth downward. „That's why she's in a relationship for three years now. Because she's so uncomprehending." She narrowed her eyes when she something that unsettled her. „Don't you dare breaking up with Ruby just because of the FEDs."

Sam chuckled for a second before turning serious again. „She's already struggling with the fact that I put my life at risk day after day."

She scrutinized him long and took a deep breath. „Do you love her?"

„Liz!"

„It's a simple question. Does she love you?"

„I think so, I don't know."

„In those three years, you never said that you love each other?"

Sam raised his brows and opened his mouth to answer the question.

„Before, during and after does not count, Sammy," she cut him short and raised her hand, smirking when he shut his mouth again.

Sam rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

Liz smiled a little and shook her head. „Just talk to Ruby before you make any decisions, do me the favor."

Sam eyed her skeptically and tilted his head to the side. „Since when are you such a fan of Ruby? You never really liked her."

Liz made big eyes and furled her brows with a shake of her head. „That's not true."

„The night you got to know her you bluntly told me that you couldn't stand her."

She tried to recall the evening and to remember why she wasn't really convicted that the bleach blonde named Ruby was the right woman for her cousin. Not because Ruby wasn't smart enough but because the literally came from two different worlds. Ruby was a museum curator and Sam was more interested in sports than in history.

Liz had to smile a little but turned serious again when he scowled at her. „She's with you for three years, that says a lot."

„Liz," he growled warningly.

She chuckled and held her hands up with furrowed brows. „Hey, the only thing that really matters is that you make each other happy."

Sam took a deep breath and smirked. „Do you know what I've been wondering all the time?"

„No," she replied carefully and tugged in her chin. „but I'm sure I soon do."

He leaned forward and glanced insistently at her. „I wonder why Tom -"

„Tim," the older corrected him once more.

„Whatever. I wonder why Tim suddenly turned to you although he had known that there was a risk that you might remember the night in the alley. And above all, he must have known that you'd check his background and that you'd find out that he was working for Maura's ex-husband."

Liz studied him for a moment and narrowed her eyes as she thought about his train of thought. „Well, that's fair enough, Sam. Tim must have known that we would check his background. Perhaps that's what he got him on the hit list."

„Obviously," Sam replied and started chewing on his pen.

„I'd like to have a serious talk with Benjamin Payton."

„Does that mean you're going back to San Diego?"

She looked up an cracked a smile. „My former Captain in San Diego still owes me one or two. I'll give her later a call."

„And why would you just give her a call?"

„I know that the law firm he's working for has an office here in Boston. I wanna know when he's back here."

„Home turf."

„Yep."

„Foxy."

Liz opened her mouth to reply something but then her eyes caught the clock behind her cousin. She jumped off her chair and gathered her things. „Oh, shit."

The young man rolled his eyes. „What is it now?"

She frowned deeply and heaved a sigh. „Actually today is my day off and I promised Zane to take him to the park later. Adam's going to wring my neck if I break that promise and work instead."

„Okay," Sam mumbled and furrowed his brows.

Liz smiled and was about to leave.

„Detective Rizzoli?"

„Yes," Sam answered and turned in his chair to the officer.

The young man glanced at him hesitantly. „Um, actually I meant her."

„Dude, I'd hate to be you right now."

Liz scowled at Sam. „Dude, shut the fuck up!"

He tugged his chin in and grinned.

„What's the matter, O'Brien," she growled.

O'Brien looked uncertain and her and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. „Um ... there ... there's someone who wants to talk to you, only you."

Liz closed her eyes briefly before glancing down at her watch, running her fingers over her brows. „Tell them to come back tomorrow because I am not at the office today."

O'Brien hesitated again and cleared his throat."I don't think the kid's gonna come back tomorrow if I send him away now, Detective."

She glanced at the framed picture that was standing on her desk that showed her, Adam and Zane and exhaled loudly. „My husband's gonna freak out."

„Liz," Sam suddenly said and got up from his chair. „I can take it from here. Go home and spend some time with your family."

She eyed him for a moment and set her jaw. „I don't think the boy's going to talk to you unless you spontaneously grow boobs."

Sam rolled his eyes and followed her and O'Brien into a conference room in which a nervous teenage boy was sitting. He might was only two or three years older than Keira.

She recognized him immediately and sat down on the across from him. „We met at the basketball court. You're a friend of Curtis."

The boy nodded hesitantly and eyed Sam.

Liz instantly knew that the boy wouldn't talk in Sam's presence unless he'd know that her cousin is trustworthy. „This is Detective Samuel Rizzoli. You can talk openly."

„I thought we could talk in confidence," the boy replied skeptically.

„That's not how it works when you're dropping in in a police station," Sam stated and frowned a little.

Liz scowled at him and tried to smile. „Why don't we start over again? What's your name?"

The boy swallowed heavily and glanced long at her. „Darren. Darren Aguiar."

She smiled again and nodded. „And how old are you, Darren?"

„Sixteen."

Liz was able to rule out that the teenager had absolutely nothing to do with her ongoing case and lifted her brows. „And what brings you here?"

Darren hesitated now and shrugged. „Curtis. He was pretty pissed after you ... ripped him a new one." He stopped and leaned forward. „Listen, I hang out often with him to impress the chicks but I have nothing to do with his business. And I want it to say that way, that's why I'm here. To warn you."

Liz furrowed her brows. „To warn me about what?"

Darren squirmed in his seat. „After your last visit, he was yelling that he has to teach you a lesson because no one strikes out at him like that."

Sam got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. „What's that supposed to mean, Darren?"

Darren drew slowly his attention to him. „Curtis declared open season on her."

Liz's heart stopped for a second and her eyebrows shot up. „He declared open season on me? Why would people follow his call?"

The teen glanced back at her and scoffed. „You have no idea with whom you're messing with, do you?" He leaned forward when she shook her head. „His people call him The Barber."

Sam straightened up when he heard the name and looked briefly at his cousin. „Holy shit.

Liz lost her patience slowly but surely. „Would you just tell me what that means?"

Sam turned in his chair and looked with anxious at her. „The Barber is the head of a gang called The Red Serpents. They are involved in absolutely everything, Liz. Drug dealing, drug smuggling, human trafficking, gambling, prostitution, contract killing. EVERYTHING. Gang Squad was only able to arrest henchmen, they never caught a big fish."

Liz started to understand and nodded slowly before closing her eyes.

„That's why I wanted to give you a warning. Everyone is looking out for you." Darren added and frowned deeply. „I don't want to have to do anything with a -"

„Yeah," she cut him off and leaned back in her chair. „I got it."

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Liz had parked her Mustang in her parents' driveway and was sitting behind the steering wheel and gritted her teeth before she got out of the vehicle to confront Keira with the latest progress.

Adam had called her forty-five minutes ago and wanted to know angrily where the hell she was and why she made their son wait.

She hadn't explained anything over the phone, though, only that she had to talk to Keira, that's how she learned that they were with Maura and Jane.

She clenched her jaw before she entered the house with some files under her arm.

Jane sat next to Maura on the couch and laughed heartily as she heard the front door open and glanced in the direction. „Liz, I just told Keira how I almost freaked out because -" She trailed off as soon as she saw her daughter's expression and frowned deeply. „What's the matter?"

Liz spotted her son sitting in Maura's lap, listening to some of the old childhood stories as well. „Zane, go to your room."

„But -" The boy began to protest.

„Now!"

„That's not fair, I didn't do anything," Zane grumbled and climbed off Maura's lap.

Liz ignored her sulking son as well as she ignored her parents. „Did you know who your boyfriend is?"

Keira looked with big eyes back at her and furled her brows. „What do you mean?"

Liz pointed at the front door as if the latest threat would lurking right behind it. „Did you know that Curtis is the head of a gang?"

Adam straightened up as soon as the words hit the air and frowned.

Keira hesitantly shrugged her shoulders. „I know that he hang out with weird people sometimes."

„Weird people," Liz laughed humorlessly and dropped the closed files on the coffee table. Actually, she had planned to show the girl the crime scene photos to show her what her boyfriend had done to his rivals and to those who betrayed him but decided against it because she didn't want to traumatize the teenager. „You're a smart girl, Keira. You should have come to the conclusion that these weird people are up to no good, or that Curtis isn't who he pretends he is. You should've known that his buddies don't call The Barber just because it sounds 'cool'."

Jane's eyes snapped up as soon as she heard the name and she grabbed one of the files.

Maura groaned and closed her eyes slowly.

„What?" Adam growled and stepped forward. „The Barber? You sure?"

Liz's eyes were hard. „If you don't believe me, go and ask Sam." She pointed at her chest and furrowed her brows. „Do you know what I got myself into when I went back to the basketball court and told Curtis to stay the hell away from you?"

„I didn't ask you to, did I," the girl barked and got up from the couch.

„What the hell did you think would happen after you showed up at my door with a black eye and cracked lip?" Liz barked back and followed Keira. „That I'd let this go? That I'd pretend nothing happened? I'm not your damn father, I am a cop. IT IS MY JOB TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE YOU SAFE AND TO PUT BASTARDS LIKE CURTIS BEHIND BARS. IT IS OUR JOB!"

Maura got up from the couch, too. She knew that it was rare that her daughter raised her voice unless she was really mad, or scared. Or mad because she was scared. „Liz," she said calmly.

„No," Liz yelled at pointed at the former ME. „You stay out of this!"

Maura was speechless and couldn't move. It never happened before that her daughter yelled at her that way.

„Did you think that it'd be cool to be a moll," Liz turned her anger back at the girl. „That people would respect you because you're the chic of fucking Curtis Ortiz?"

„I didn't know," Keira yelled with tears in her eyes back. „I heard some rumors, all right?"

„Great," Liz growled and threw her hands up. „She heard some rumors. Ever had the thought that those rumors might be true? That Curtis isn't Mr. Nice Guy? Oh, right, he showed you his true colors the moment he beat you up!"

„Enough," Jane growled dangerously low and her daughter clenched her jaw. Jane glared at her daughter and led Keira to the patio door. „Let's get some air."

Keira closed her eyes and nodded.

Liz closed her eyes too and took a deep breath.

„She knows what she's doing," Maura said calmly and glanced briefly at Adam, who had watched the whole scenery in silence.

Liz gritted her teeth again. „And I don't?"

Maura raised her brows with a small smile. Ma's got a little more experience with stubborn teenagers."

The younger woman rolled her eyes and Adam chuckled.

Jane looked at the girl as Keira sat down on a chair at the round garden table and handed her a blanket that was always ready. „Liz shouldn't have brought up your father like that."

„No," Keira Keira agreed and spread said blanket over her body.

„She's just worried."

„Why?"

„Well, first of all, because you are her little ... sister. And because of Zane and Adam." Jane answered with a frown and sat down across the girl. And sometimes because of Maura, me and the rest of the world."

Keira smiled briefly. „That's a lot to worry about."

„Oh, yes," Jane agreed with furrowed brows. „But many times her worries are justified." She saw the questioning gaze and licked her lips. „Liz has been through a lot the last few years ... I know I'm not supposed to tell you, but Liz left Boston, Adam, and Zane for five years to protect the ones she loves the most. We didn't even know if she was ... She didn't get in touch at that time." She paused and furrowed her brows, looking at the teen. „She didn't yell at you because she was disappointed but because you mean a lot to her, Keira. And because she thinks it's her duty to protect you after your father died. Because you are -" She swallowed hard. „Because you are family."

„But Liz barely knows me," Keira countered and frowned.

The older woman took a deep breath. „Sometimes you don't have to know someone your whole life to know that they're a part of you, Keira. Sometimes you're inseparably connected with each other without knowing it."

Keira nodded slowly and inhaled the cold air deeply.

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„I never thought that a girl like your sister would get in the hands of bastards like Curtis Ortiz just because she wanted to bought beer," Adam stated and sat down on the couch next to his wife, handing her a bottle of beer.

Liz frowned deeply and inspected the bottle in her hand. „Adam, experience has shown that girls have fallen for such guys like him for much less."

He pulled her against him and kissed her head when she leaned it on his shoulder. „Yes, but those cases didn't affect our life."

She closed her eyes and nodded, pursing her lips. „Very true."

„You should've told me on the phone what's going on."

The younger woman sighed loudly and slipped her hand under his shirt. She didn't want to indicate something, she just needed physical contact right now. „I wanted to face Keira myself, and I wanted to see if she'd tell the truth."

„Did she pass your test?"

Liz nodded and sighed again. „With flying colors." She frowned and looked up at him. „That's not how I imagined it."

Adam held her gaze and frowned, too. „What do you mean?"

„That I come back home and that I have to stare into the abyss once more."

He nods slowly and traced her chin with his thumb. „You're no longer alone, Elizabeth. We get through this together, come hell or high water."

She nodded once more and leaned up, kissing him gently. She looked him long in the eyes before she suddenly straddled his lap. „I know."

Adam didn't need to hear what his wife had to say because he could see it clearly in her eyes when he lifted his. He could see that she was sick and tired of running away and that she was aware of the fact that she knew that she didn't have to face the threat alone anymore. That she knew that he had her back.

Liz held his gaze as she lifted her arms over her head before he pulled her tee over it. She didn't budge an inch when he slowly ran his hands down her sides.

She leaned her head down and looked Adam in the eye before kissing him and rolling unintentionally her hip.

Adam growled while struggling with the hooks of her bra.

„Jesus Christ," Keira's voice filled the room and Liz's eyes snapped up.

The older woman chuckled when she saw her sister's crimson face before she turned away.

„Get a room," the teen grumbled and Adam groaned again.

The older brunette chuckled amused and frowned. „Do you still believe in birds and bees?"

„No," Keira replied emphatically and went with shielded eyes to the fridge. „but I sure didn't need to see that, let alone hear it."

Adam groaned once again and placed his forehead on his wife's chest.

„That's exactly what I meant," Keira stated and made a face. „I really need my own fridge in my room so you guys can make out on the couch."

„Really," he growled and turned his head. „Making out?"

„What would you call it," Keira wanted to know and sipped her water. „Foreplay?"

Adam opened his mouth to retort but then he closed it again, rolling his eyes.

The mood was definitely gone.

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Frankie looked long at her and frowned deeply. „I don't know."

„Come on, make an effort. It would just be until all this is over, Frankie. Your best team isn't running smoothly at the moment and they need someone they can turn to."

„And with that you mean yourself?"

Jane smiled coyly and lifted her shoulders with a nod. „I ran the team for years, didn't I?"

He leaned back in his chair and sighed loudly. „Yeah, that's very true."

„You know that we can get them working perfectly together again. I can be their buffer if necessary."

Frankie glanced long at his sister and took a deep breath. „Okay."

Jane raised her brows high. „Okay?"

„Okay, I hire Maura and you as counselors," he answered and held up a hand when Jane started to smile. „But only until the case is closed once and for all."

„Great," Jane agreed with a nod. „But Maura and I need access to all files and evidence of the case."

Frankie took the receiver of his landline in his hand and frowned. „Consider it done." He paused and eyed the former Lieutenant. „Don't let me regret this, Jane."

She leaned back in her chair. „You know me, Frankie."

„That's what worries me," he grumbled and Jane smirked.

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Liz sat at her desk and studied the current progress of the investigation in her case and at the same time she had to deal with the Red Serpents case. She kept wondering how Keira couldn't have noticed the intrigues her boyfriend was involved in, but she also knew that girls of Keira's age were wearing rose-colored glasses when they were in love for the very first time. She had them on too when she was younger, and she didn't care about what her parents and friends were thinking about the boy back then.

She wondered why she was suddenly thinking about Shawn Massey, her very first boyfriend back in high school.

He had been tall, athletic and very popular at school.

She suspected that was mostly because Shawn had been in the football team.

He was smart too and everyone envied her because she had a relationship with him, but at some point, she had had enough of all the attention so she broke up with him but remained friends with Shawn.

Liz frowned and glanced briefly at her screen and decided to find out what had become of the jock.

„You look tired."

Liz flinched and turned to the person. „It got late yesterday."

„Is this your case or the Red Serpents'?"

The younger brunette glanced at the open files and sighed. „Both."

„I talked to your uncle."

„To give me a leave of absence?"

„No," Jane replied a little surprised and shook her head. „No, not at all. I talked to him because I'm offering you my service as a counselor."

Liz slowly raised her brows and opened her mouth to ask her mother if she was thinking that they incapable the solve the cases without Jane's help but then her phone on the desk started buzzing. She read the text and closed her eyes with a groan."

„Another murder," Jane asked carefully.

The young woman shook her head and opened her eyes again. „No, I asked Winters to find out when Benjamin Payton is back in Boston and if she could give me an insight into his client list."

„Why did you want to have a peek in his client list?"

Liz glanced long at her. „Because I wanna know with whom I'm actually messing and to know how big his resources are."

„You could have asked Mom or me."

„I got along quite well five years without your -"

„You have to be a team player again," Jane cut her daughter off.

Liz's eyes hardened suddenly. „Excuse me?"

Jane sighed and sat down on the chair that was standing next to the desk. „You've been on your own for the last five years, I get that, Liz. But before everything went to hell in a handbasket, you've been working with a damn fine team. You can trust Sam and Adam, they won't stab you in the back."

Liz looked long at her mother and resisted the urge to close her eyes once again. She knew that Jane was right and that none of the two men would betray her, that wasn't their nature. She also knew that she had to shake off the feeling of betrayal and that she'd be on her own, that was easier said than done, though.

Five years of being deep undercover took its toll.

She wasn't able to trust everyone frivolously anymore, even though she knew that this feeling was beyond stupid. „You don't know how I'm feeling."

Jane looked long at her daughter and licked her lips. „I know how you feel because I've been undercover, too. Way too many times." she stopped and frowned. „I don't know if you still remember but that was the reason why I moved out when you were little."

Liz nodded slowly and tugged at her lower lip. „Yeah, I still remember."

It wasn't a lie. She really still remembered how her parents had fought late in the night and that Jane wasn't sitting with them at the breakfast table the next morning, and that Maura had repeatedly evaded her question why her Ma wasn't with them.

When she got a little older, she had assumed that her parents had separated and then, all of a sudden, they rekindle.

This time had shaped her and also confused her. It was always a back and forth. „It was a difficult time for me. One evening we ate pizza together and watched TV and the next morning you were gone after you and Mom fought."

Jane looked long at her daughter and nodded with furrowed brows.

At that moment she realized that not only the last five years stood between them but also the things that had long passed, things that she had when the woman before her was still a little girl. Things she and Maura swept under the carpet and never talked about.

She was well aware of the fact that she was far from being a perfect mother or a perfect marriage. Quite the opposite, Maura and she were still arguing about many small things, but she had always thought that they had given their only daughter a beautiful childhood and a stable family life.

Liz had always excellent grades at school and her friends hadn't been people to worry about either, so she concluded that neither she nor Maura failed as parents. „Why didn't you say a word?"

„If that would've changed anything," retorted and frowned.

„Liz," Jane stated with a frown.

„Hey," the younger brunette said, smiling faintly. „in the end I turned out quite well, didn't I? I don't do drugs and I don't turn tricks, right? I do what I do best. I help people who can't help themselves."

A thought crossed Jane's mind."But is that what you want for yourself?"

Liz glanced long at her and frowned, too. „You should know me better, Ma. If I wouldn't love this job then I wouldn't sit here today, would I?"

Jane smiled now and shook her head. „No, you wouldn't," she answered but could see that something else was bothering her daughter. „What else is going on?"

Liz looked up from the file in her hand and took a deep breath. „Do we have to discuss this now?"

Jane let her eyes wander around in the empty bullpen and frowned. „If not now, when?"

„Okay," the young woman sighed, closed the file and put it carefully on her desk. „Lately, when we see each other, we're just arguing and you're constantly holding my mistakes against me. Whether it's the ones I made in the past or those I make today."

„Because I want you to understand that every decision you make are affecting your life and the life of your family," Jane defended herself. „I've always told you that every action causes a reaction."

Liz looked long at her and pressed her lips tightly together. „That's right, you taught me that. You sat down with me and told me clearly when I made a mistake. You didn't stand in front of me and held the mistakes that I've five years earlier against me over and over again. How would you feel like if I'd keep saying that you disappeared for weeks in my childhood, then reappeared and you and Mom pretended that nothing ever happened while I couldn't understand what was going on? Shit, I've said a hundred times at school that you two would get divorced and then you guys got back together."

Jane swallowed hard and her eyes grew huge. „I didn't know that. Why didn't you say anything?"

„Because you never asked how I was feeling," Liz replied and frowned deeply. „After you came back home after one of your operations, you and Mom were so busy with yourselves that you forgot to ask me how I was for once."

The older woman leaned back in her chair. „I really didn't know that you were struggling with the circumstance."

Liz nodded hesitantly and ran her fingers over her lips with furrowed eyebrows. „I never said anything. I never blamed you for it either. By all accounts, I didn't get that attribute from you."

Jane winced a little and nodded, too. „I deserved that."

„Yes," the young detective agreed. „Yes, you deserved that."

„I something else bothering you?"

„I have a target on my back because of my little sister while I struggle figuring out why Benjamin Payton wants me dead. So, yeah, some things are bothering me."

Jane skidded a little forward and frowned deeply. „Something else than your current ... problems."

Liz eyes her long and furrowed her brows while chewing on her cheek. „How would you feel like if you'd finally come home five years later and were constantly brawl with the person for whom you'd give your life without batting an eyelash?"

„Why didn't you tell me that Adam and you -"

„I'm not talking about Adam," Liz cut her mother off harshly. „I'm talking about you, Ma." She swallowed hard when Jane inhaled sharply. „Since I got back to Boston, you haven't even said that you're glad I'm okay again, nor have you hugged me for once. Every time we're alone in a room you pick a fight, you keep telling me that you searched the hospitals and morgues for me, but apparently, you're not able to say that you're glad that I'm still alive."

Jane let the words sink in and frowned when she realized that her daughter was right. She licked her lips and got up from her chair.

Liz snorted and took the file back in her hand. „Great," she hissed.

„Get up," Jane demanded as she stood next to the younger woman.

Liz furled her brows and raised her eyes slowly. „What?"

Jane took a deep breath and moved her hand so her daughter would understand. „Get up, Elizabeth."

The young detective rolled her eyes and followed the instruction with a groan. „Now what?"

Jane stepped closer and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Her heart skipped a beat when she hugged her daughter for the first time since Liz's return. She closed her eyes and tightened her hold. „I'm glad that you're back home," she whispered and kissed Liz's temple. „And I'm glad you're alive, bug."

Liz's eyes fell shut when she heard the name and also wrapped her arms around her mother.

Jane pulled back a little and furrowed her brows while cupping Liz's cheek. „And I want you to know that I will never let anything happen to you. Never!"

The young woman swallowed hard and she blinked back the tears. „Yes, I know that." She inhaled deeply and grabbed her phone from the desk.

Jane furled her brows once more. „Are you telling Mom about our talk?"

Liz laughed briefly and wiped a tear off her cheek before starting to type. „No."

„Are you telling her that I finally came back to my senses?"

„Nope, but I'm calling in a favor from another friend if this is the only way to get the information I need."

Jane's brows shot up after she understood. „Are you sure about is?"

Liz lowered the device again after sending the text and took a deep breath. „No, not at all."


	17. Chapter 17

Maura looked seriously at Jane and frowned deeply. „So you and Liz finally reconciled with each other?"

Jane rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. „Yes."

„And you won't try to bust your heads?"

The brunette lifted her mug and paused. „I won't guarantee that."

Maura scoffed and eyes her wife skeptically. „Does your brother know what our daughter is up to?"

„I don't think so," the former lieutenant answered brusquely and frowned deeply. „And even if he would, I don't think he'd approve it."

Maura stopped dead and heaved a sigh. „Jane, I don't have a good feeling about this."

Jane took Maura's hand in hers and pulled the graying blonde to her. „Now don't worry, our daughter has survived five years without us and she barely got a scratch."

„She had massive head trauma, not to mention her cut wrists."

Jane blinked a few times and raised her shoulders. „I said that she barely got a scratch."

The former ME scoffed again and pulled her hand out of Jane's. „How can you say that? When I was pregnant with Elizabeth and got kidnapped, you moved heaven and hell to find us, even though you had to assume that we were dead."

„Which I never believed because your technician was obsessed with you," the Italian growled and pinched the bridge of her nose. „And I was right, otherwise neither you nor our daughter would be here today unless I'm completely nuts and live in a crazy fantasy."

„Maybe you are," the blonde replied seriously.

Jane grabbed her wrists and pulled her against her body. „It's not like we're throwing Liz under the bus, Maura. She's strong, she's smart and she's capable. Liz isn't going undercover again. She just called in a favor."

Maura looked her deep in the eye. „At what price?"

„I don't know," Jane admitted with a sigh.

„And you didn't stop her," Maura stated angrily, slapping her wife's chest.

Jane raised her brows and closed her eyes when the former ME pulled away„What was I supposed to do?"

„I don't know," Maura replied louder and threw her hands up. „You should have talked her out of this crazy idea."

„You know how stubborn our daughter is, right?" Jane laughed but turned serious again as soon as she saw the look of her wife. „Me trying to talk her out of it would only have spurred her on even more."

„Since when are you so sure about her again?"

Jane took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. „I never stopped believing in her, Maura."

Maura lifted her brows and the Italian rolled her eyes once again.

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Liz laughed amused and gave her cousin a shove after they emerged from the elevator. „I think we really have to take this to the shooting range."

„I just said I broke all your records there," Sam laughed too and wiggled his brows.

„But only because I haven't had a chance to compete fairly with you in five years."

„That's what you said when I told you I got better in single combat."

The young woman quirked a brow and smirked. „I think we both really have a lot of catching up to do."

He snorted amused and nodded in agreement.

„Liz," Leslie said, and the brunette turned surprised her attention to the redhead, who walked towards her with Chaz. „There's a fucking handsome guy waiting for you who says that he knows you."

„Hey!" Chaz complained and furled his brows.

„Oh, shhh," his wife replied and Sam smirked.

Liz, on the other hand, did not smile and quickly entered the bullpen and held her breath when she saw a man standing at her desk, looking at the framed picture. She placed her satchel on the desk and gritted her teeth.

He lifted his eyes and turned the picture to her with a deep frown. „Who's that?"

She grabbed the frame and placed it back where it belonged. „That's none of your business. What the hell are you doing here, Ed?"

Leslie furled her eyebrows and glanced briefly at Chaz and Sam. She had heard the name of the man before, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

The man named Ed held a thick file up and smiled broadly. „You asked me for that. Did you forget it?"

„You could have e-mailed me the list," she shot back and wanted to take the file from his hand.

„But then I couldn't see you," he replied and pulled the list away without warning.

Liz looked at him surprised. „I'm not really in the mood for games."

Sam decided to intervene and to find out who the stranger was. He cleared his throat and stretched his hand out to the other dark-haired man. „Hi. Sam Rizzoli."

Ed shook his hand but glanced at Liz. Rizzoli? I didn't know you have a brother."

Liz put her bag under her desk and took off her jacket. „Sam's my cousin."

„Oh," breathed Ed and smiled a little. He cleared his throat and straightened up a bit. Eduardo Russ. Or just Ed."

Sam looked at his cousin with big eyes and smirked when she rolled hers. He knew what that name meant.

„Oh shit," Chaz whispered to his wife and she glanced at him questioningly. „That's the guy with whom Liz had an affair in San Diego."

„Oh damn," the redhead whispered back.

Sam sat down at his desk and met Liz's eyes. „This is gonna be so good."

Liz rolled her eyes again and reached out for the file. „Can have the list now?"

Russo pouted a little and handed her the file. „You're a wet blanket."

„Yes," she replied and opened the file. „I know."

Russo took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. „I have to talk to your Sergeant. Where can I find him?"

Liz slowly lifted her eyes and frowned deeply. „Why do you have to talk to my sergeant?"

Russo shrugged and tilted his head to the side. „Because my superiors want to know why a Boston Homicide squad is interested in a very reputable defender from California. And I'd like to know that, too. Your text was pretty tight-lipped."

Liz knew that she didn't tell him why she needed that list and glanced at her watch. „He should be here any minute," she answered his previous question, quietly praying that this nightmare would end as quickly as it started.

Russo nodded briefly and looked around in the office. „I can wait."

Liz glanced at the amused Sam and swallowed heavily before turning her attention back at the client list of Benjamin Payton that she was holding in her hand.

„Next time we get our coffee in a coffee shop instead downstairs," Adam grumbled when he entered the bullpen. „At least then it won't taste like soapsuds and we know that we waited half an hour for a good reason." He fell silent when he spotted the tall, dark-haired man and walked past him to his desk. „And who are you?"

Russo reached out and frowned a little. „Ed Russo, FBI."

Adam's expression darkened when he heard the name and scowled at his wife. „Adam Laverty," he growled but didn't shake Russo's hand. „Why is the FBI paying us a visit?"

The agent looked long at the other man and his frown deepened. „We'd like to know why BPD is interested in Benjamin Payton and his law office." He tilted his head to the side and furled his brows when he realized the blond man on the picture.

Adam sipped his coffee and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. „His name popped up several times during an ongoing investigation."

„And what kind of case is this?"

„A murder, that's why we're investigating it."

Liz glanced up from the list and set her jaw before handing Russo the Waterston and Rubino files. She saw that her husband wasn't very enthusiastic about it but she also knew that Russo wouldn't stop until he had the answers he was looking for.

Russo eyes her with a faint smile and accepted the files. „Thank you."

„Save it," she grumbled and glanced at Adam once more and knew exactly what was going on in his head right now. Her two worlds collided unchecked.

The agent's eyes shot up and they were huge. „Is that true? You were with James Waterston when he got killed? And then you were the prime suspect? Is this supposed to be a bad joke?"

Liz took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. „Am I laughing?"

„We were able to exonerate Detective Rizzoli after a thorough investigation," Adam added, sipping his coffee.

Russo glanced at the other man seriously and then he looked at the glass board, pointing at Tim Rubino's photo. „And he's the one who's responsible for all this? What's he got to do with Benjamin Payton?"

Liz looked once again to Adam and realized that the next fight with him was already inevitable when she saw him staring at her while running his hand over his beard, so she decided to bring Russo into the loop without her husband's consent. „Timothy Rubino worked for Payton as an investigator, and we can be pretty sure that Rubino and a guy named Cody did a lot more than just killing James Waterston."

„Liz," Adam growled dangerously low and he tugged his chin in when she raised her hand. „Shortly after we figured out for whom Rubino was working, he got killed, too. We were supposed to believe that he committed suicide."

„And that's when Cody comes into the picture," Russo asked and dropped the files back onto her desk while he took a look at the composite sketch. „Does Cody also have a surname?"

„Not yet," Adam sighed loudly and shook his head.

„That's why I asked you to get Payton's list. I was hoping that we could figure his whole name out with that." She got up from her chair when she saw the deep frown of the agent and handed Sam the list. „Tell me if you find something useful."

The young man nodded slowly. „Okay."

„Where are you going," Adam wanted to know when his wife made her way to the door.

„I'll get something to drink, Sergeant."

Adam pressed his lips together when she left the room and furled his brows when the FBI agent followed her.

Liz opened the fridge in the break room and straightened up when she heard the door close. She shut her eyes when someone stood right behind her.

„You look different," Russo stated calmly.

„That's what happens when you don't see each other for several months."

He grabbed her at the arm and turned her around so he could look her straight in the eye before he pulled her against him, kissing her without permission.

For a fraction of a second she gave in but then she raised her brows and pushed him away. „I can't," she whispered and closed her eyes. „I can't, Ed."

Russo frowned deeply and tried to catch her eyes. „Why now? Because of the moron who calls himself Sergeant?"

Liz's eyes shot open again and she furrowed her brows. „This moron is my husband, Ed."

He stepped astonished back from her.

„I married him almost ten years ago.

He blinked a few times while progressing the information. „That's why you didn't say yes when I proposed to you." He licked his lips when she nodded. „Does he know about me?"

She swallowed hard and nodded. „Yes, Adam knows."

„Does he also know that we've been together for almost four years?"

„No, and I want it to stay that way,"

Russo inhaled deeply and pursed his lips. „Why did come to San Diego?"

Liz licked her lips and exhaled loudly. „I was undercover. Deep undercover."

„Was I a part of this operation?"

She glanced at the Gatorade and shook her head. „No, you weren't a part of it."

Russo swallowed hard and took a moment. „And the boy in the picture on your desk? Who is he?"

„He's my six-year-old son," she answered hesitantly and inhaled sharply when she saw his hurt eyes.

Russo nodded slowly and he furled his brows. „Did I even know you?"

Liz knew that it was a mistake and that it was dangerous, but she ignored the nagging voice in the back of her head, kissing him. „You know a little part of me, but you never knew who I really am."

Russo leaned his forehead against hers and set his jaw. „And this is you. The real Liz Rizzoli?"

She nodded slowly and turned away from him when the door opened again.

Leslie stuck her head into the room and stopped abruptly. „Um, Adams wants you to come back to the office. Sam found something interesting."

Liz glanced over her shoulder at her and set her jaw when she spotted the look of her friend. „Tell them I'll be there in a second."

Leslie glared at the agent. „All right."

„Thanks," Liz stated with a tight smile before she looked at Russo. „Please don't make this any weirder."

Russo shrugged and smiled humorlessly. „Can it get weirder?"

She smiled once again tightly and shook her head. „No, it can't."

„Wait," he said when she was about to leave the break room. „I never really had a chance, had I?"

Liz took a deep breath and shook her head. „No. You never really had a chance, and I'm so sorry for letting you believe that you were the only man in my life."

He grabbed her arm again. „Have you ever had feelings for me or was that all only a part of your mission?"

„Do you really think that I am that ice cold so I'd male you believe that I was in -"

„Do you still love him?"

„Yes," she answered without hesitation. „I never stopped loving my husband, even when I was in San Diego. I never loved anyone else the way I love him."

Russo swallowed heavily and let go of her arm.

„I'm so sorry," she whispered before she left the room.

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„I hope that I made my stance clear," Adam murmured and frowned deeply while running his hand over her bare back.

Liz took a deep breath and hummed with a smile. „Yes, you made it more than clear."

He looked long at her and sighed loudly.

The young woman raised her head a little and looked him in the eye. She knew that Adam didn't miss the looks Russo was giving her while they followed a lead that ended up in a dead end. She kissed him once, and then twice. „I'm only yours."

„Damn straight," he growled with a slight smile.

She nestled her nose in the crook of his neck while she ran her hand over his chest. „What's bothering you?"

„Nothing," he mumbled.

„Adam," she whined and looked up briefly.

He squinted at the ceiling and sighed. „It wasn't just a fling, was it? I mean you and Russo."

Liz blinked a few times and frowned. She understood now why Adam and she ended up in bed shortly after they got home. Why he wanted to claim her again. Successfully, though. „Do you seriously want to talk about Ed Russo now? After -"

Adam raised his eyebrows when she trailed off and smiled inevitably. „I just made a few things clear."

She grinned broadly and kissed him. „You know that you don't have to make anything clear anymore, Adam. You should know by now that you're the only one I want."

He wiggled his brows and looked down at her. „You didn't answer my question, though."

Liz sighed dramatically and ran her hand over his chest. „I already told you that I liked him."

„The way he looks at you ... He didn't only like you, Elizabeth. And you didn't only like him either."

Liz licked her lips and shook timidly her head, hoping that her reaction wouldn't provoke another quarrel.

Adam kept running his hand along her spine and wasn't sure how to react right now, he was just tired of arguing all over again. „You fell in love with him, didn't you?"

Liz glanced up in his eyes and ran her fingers along his jawline. „I ... I didn't plan it, Adam. I ... I never loved him the way I love you."

„Did Russo know that you are married?"

She closed her eyes once more because his pain was evident in his voice. „You know I was undercover at the time, deep undercover."

„I guess that means no, Russo didn't know that you're married."

„No one knew about you or Zane or my real life in Boston, Adam. I was all by myself at first, but at some point, I let my guard down, became careless and vulnerable. So I started to meet with my new ... 'colleagues' and actually started my ... new life." She paused and ran her thumb over his Ada's apple. „I'd have done anything only to hear your voice for one evening."

„I know the feeling very well," he replied meekly through gritted teeth and set his jaw for a second. „You have no idea how many times I watched videos of you when Zane was in bed just to see you again and to hear your voice, Elizabeth."

She wanted to tell him once again how sorry she was but gasped when he turned his back to her without warning. She closed her eyes and knew that it was better not to try explaining anything right now. She tried not to smile when he sighed and turned back on his back, placing her hand over his heart.

Adam let his eyes slowly wander over Liz's face like he was trying to memorize every little detail of it, running his fingertips along her chin. „You can't imagine what I've been through," he whispered when he turned to his side, closing his eyes. „How many times I prayed to see you again, to hear your voice again." He sighed and opened his eyes again while running his hand down her arm. „To touch you again."

Liz was silent when her husband shut his eyes again and wanted to tell him that she exactly knew what he was talking about but she didn't dare to say a single word but stared at him before she laid her head down on the pillow too.

She skidded closer and sighed before she closed her eyes as well.

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Liz entered the bullpen with Adam and stopped when she saw Russo standing with Leslie and hoped that he hadn't told the redhead any dirty little secrets of her time in San Diego. She also wondered what the agent was actually doing in BPD. „How long are you planning to stay in Boston," she asked brusquely and crossed her arms over her chest with raised brows when Russo turned to her.

„I've been told your Lieutenant would like to speak to me privately," he answered with a weak smile, eyeing her.

Liz dropped her arms again and glared at him before marching off. „No way."

Adam glanced confused at Leslie who unwittingly raised her shoulders.

Russo rolled his eyes and followed the brunette. „Liz, wait a minute."

„That's not gonna happen," the woman replied angrily and didn't even think about slowing down her steps. „And if that happens, it'll only happen over my dead body." She pushed the door to Frankie's office open without knocking. „You won't take me off my case!"

Frankie frowned deeply and lowered the receiver of his landline. „Please come in."

Liz ignored his sarcastic tone and the fact that the agent had followed her into the office. „I've been working on this case for years now and I won't let you just hand it over to the FBI without any resistance. I worked my butt off and almost lost my family because of that!"

Her uncle glanced at her and raised his brows without saying a word.

„Liz," Russo said reassuringly.

She pointed at him without glancing at him and walked up to Frankie's desk. „Russo will need weeks to read up on the case, and then the FEDs will take weeks to make the first step. We're already so close -"

„Enough, Elizabeth," Frankie cut her off harshly. „Agent Russo isn't here to take over the case you're working on! He's here because of the Red Serpents!"

„Because the FBI is investigating the gang for years already and we hope that we finally can nab them," Russo added when he leaned a little to her ear with a smile.

She scoffed and glared at her uncle. „That's my case, too."

„You can't have your cake and eat it too, Liz," Frankie replied and leaned back in his chair.

„Ortiz threatened **me** and **my** family -"

„And that's why you are anything but objective. And that's why I'm giving this case to the FBI. I don't want Ortiz stumbling against a wall while you guys arrest him."

„I would never -"

„And that's how it should stay," Frankie cut her off again, knowing what she was about to say, and she gritted her teeth. „We all know how ... you react when it comes to your kid and your husband. And besides, you've never heard of the gang before. Russo is aware with whom he has to deal with." He lifted his hand when the young woman was about to say something. „Stop arguing with me about this, Detective. Benjamin Payton arrived in Boston and is ready to have a talk with you and Sam at his office."

Liz furrowed her brows and took another step towards the desk. „Adam's my assigned partner, not Sam."

„Detective Laverty is going to help Agent Russo from this moment."

Liz's heart sank and she made big eyes. „You can't do that."

„I just did," Frankie replied once and for all and furled his brows. „Unless you come up with a good reason why Laverty and Russo shouldn't work together."

She swallowed hard and shook her head. She didn't see any reason why she should tell her uncle that she and Russo had an affair.

„Very good," the older man stated, handing her a note. „You should leave now, Payton's expecting you in an hour."

Liz licked angrily her lips, looked at the note while frowning deeply. She turned to leave and glared at the agent.

Russo followed her once again and leaned in a bit once more. „You're welcome," he whispered with a smirk.

She stopped abruptly and turned to him when he almost bumped into her. „Stay the hell away from me," she whispered dangerously low.

Russo tugged surprised his chin in and looked briefly to the break room. „Just yesterday you kissed me in there."

Liz furled her brows and then she shoved him hard. „To bring this thing between you and me finally to an end."

„This thing," he whispered harshly back. „We had a serious relationship and I proposed to you. And back then it seemed like you seriously considered to say yes."

„That was another time, another life. That was MY other life. This here, in Boston, this is my real life. I have a husband and a son, and I will leave neither one nor the other. Did I make myself clear?"

Russo's expression hardened and he set his jaw. „Yea, crystal clear." He was about to walk past her but stopped. „Besides, I'd never ask you to leave your husband or your son for me. I may be an asshole but I know when it's time to give up!"

Liz closed her eyes when he disappeared in the bullpen and ran a hand with a heavy sigh over her face before entering the office as well.

Adam looked at her with a frown and guessed something must have gone wrong.

Liz grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and inhaled deeply. „We're paying Ben Payton a visit."

„It's about time," replied and was about to get up from his chair.

She glanced at him and then at her cousin. „I was talking to Sam."

Sam's eyes grew huge, got up and got his jacket.

Adam looked confused at her and blinked a few times. „Excuse me?"

Russo glared at Liz and breathed deeply. „You and I are going to deal with the Red Serpents."

„He's joking, right?" Adam laughed humorlessly and lowered his brows when his wife shook her head.

„Perfect," he growled and flopped back into his chair.

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Liz followed the young blonde paralegal, who reminded her a little of a younger Maura, through the busy office and felt her hands getting sweaty because she finally got the chance to face the man who was responsible that her life became a mess and who was responsible for her running from Boston.

The paralegal knocked at the high oak door before opening it. „Mr. Payton, the Detectives from the BPD are here."

Ben was about to get some papers out of his briefcase and waved the cops in without saying a word.

Liz thanked the woman and entered the spacious office without showing any nervousness while her cousin followed her.

Ben looked up and gave them a broad smile. „Elizabeth, it's good to see you."

Somehow Liz could understand that Maura succumbed him. Even in his older years, he radiated a certain charm. „I wish I could say the same."

He turned the corners of his mouth downwards. „You're as straight as Jane." He smiled again when her brows turned up. „And you also look pretty much like her."

„You had no small part in what my appearance would be like. I mean, you've chosen Timothy Rubino to be their sperm donor."

„Guilty," the lawyer sighed with a nod. „But I really had only the best for Maura in mind." He sat down behind his desk and eyes the detectives for a moment. „I guess you're here to talk about him? Tim, I mean."

„Yes, we are. Why aren't you denying that you knew him?"

„Why would I," Ben asked back and lifted his shoulders. „He was my best investigator."

„Tim was much more than just an investigator," Liz shot back with a hard expression.

Ben frowned deeply and leaned back in his chair. „I don't know what you're talking about."

Liz swallowed hard and opened her portfolio. „I'm talking about James Waterston."

Ben put his glasses on and took a look at the crime scene photo that showed Waterson's body on the alley. „I won't deny that I also knew Jimmy, he let me have some information the DA office didn't want to give me, but I know nothing about his passing. I was shocked when I read about his murder."

Sam nodded slowly and frowned. „How well did you know Detective James Waterston?"

Ben handed Liz the photo back and scratched his chin. „Not well enough to call him a close friend. He was an acquaintance with whom I had a drink or two every now and then."

Liz furled her brows and set her jaw for a moment. „Let's talk about Tim again."

Ben nodded vehemently. „Sure."

„Since when did you know him?"

„A former college friend in Arizona recommended him about thirty-seven years ago. I already hired Tim every now and then when I was still working for the DA's office in Boston. And over the years, we became close friends."

„Is that why you asked Rubino to kill Waterston and Elizabeth," Sam now wanted to know, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Ben scoffed and leaned forward. „And why would I want that?"

„To take vengeance," Liz answered his question seriously. „You know what family means to my parents and you couldn't stand the fact that -" she hesitated and furrowed her brows. „Maura started with a woman a family instead of you."

The lawyer looked long at her before he turned a framed photo around that showed him, an older woman and two girls. „I indeed hated Jane for pinching my wife and ruining my marriage, but I'm over that for decades now. I'd never had Maura's kid get killed for vengeance. That you have to believe."

Liz approached the desk and furled her brows. „Tim and his apprentice killed Waterston and nearly killed me because they wanted to teach my parents a lesson."

„Not in my name," Ben replies and held his hands up. „I didn't even know that Tim was a hit man."

„I thought you were for decades befriended."

„Do you tell your friends every single secret of yours?"

Sam heaved a sigh and opened his own portfolio, taking the composite sketch out of it. „What about him? Is he familiar to you?"

Ben studied the drawing for a while and breathed, „Oh God."

Liz's heart sped up and she furrowed her brows. „You know him?"

Ben nodded slowly. „Yes."

„What's his name," Sam demanded to know.

„I can't tell you -"

„Please," Liz begged emphatically and swallowed hard.

The lawyer quarreled with himself for a second before he closed his eyes, writing something down. „His name is Cody Martens. And this client is his half-brother."

Liz accepted the note and her eyes grew huge. „He is one of your clients?"

Ben nodded slowly and closed briefly his eyes. „He contacted me about seven years ago to push an appeal trial through."

Liz slowly closed her eyes after she handed the name to Sam.

Ben shook vehemently his head and frowned deeply. „Elizabeth, I am really sorry. I did not know what he was up to."

The young detective glanced at him and swallowed hard. „Yeah, I know. Thank you for your help."

Sam smiled tightly at the older man. „Thank you for your cooperation." He followed his cousin hot on her heels. „What now, Liz?"

Liz hurried out of the office and didn't look at him, licking her lips. „I don't know, Sam. I really don't know."


	18. Chapter 18

Adam sighed loudly as he entered the kitchen and frowned when he saw his wife making herself a sandwich with a set jaw.

He stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He furled his brows when she instantly shook them off again. He made another attempt and sighed once more when he got the same reaction. „Don't."

Liz straightened up and closed her eyes. She barely had spoken a word since she and Sam came back from Ben.

Her chin began to tremble when he kissed her head and licked her lips. She couldn't understand that he reacted that way after Sam told the team what they found out, she got the feeling that she would never wake up from this nightmare she got herself into years ago. And if she would be married to another man than Adam, she was sure that he would be out of the door and out of her life in no time.

Liz furrowed her brows when Adam wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. „I'm so sorry," she whispered all of a sudden and the tears were evident in her voice.

„You have nothing to be sorry for," he whispered back and shook his head. „You couldn't have known that a psychopath becomes obsessed with you already years ago."

She swallowed hard and frowned and exhaled slowly. „I'd run as fast as I can if I'd get to know that my husband got off with someone like -"

Adam also frowned and turned her to him. „I'm not going anywhere. You should've realized that already, Liz." He paused when she tried to evade his gaze. „And when I said for better or for worse I meant it. I'll stay at your side, come what may."

Liz finally looked at him and swallowed hard. „You have to think about Zane and Keira."

Her husband blinked a few times and his frowned deepened. „And what about you," he asked worriedly because he got the feeling that the brunette was about to do something really stupid, that she had settled her affairs. „Zane needs you and Keira needs you, I need you, Elizabeth.

„I just -" Liz trailed off and closed her eyes. „I just wanted to tell you that you have to ... You took good care of our son the last five years, Adam, I just want you to do the same if -"

„Does that mean that you're running again or that you're about to do something really stupid?"

Her eyes hardened and she straightened up once more. „I'm not going to run but I'm going to see him."

Adam stopped breathing and set his jaw when her words hit his ears. Now he knew what she was trying to say. That she wasn't sure what would happen after her visit, and neither was he. „Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, he wanted his half-brother to kill you."

„And I'm going to show him that I won't chuck up the sponge," Liz replied emphatically with furrowed brows. „He's made my life a living hell the last couple of years. Now it's my time to return the favor."

Adam looked long at her and nodded slowly. He could understand that Liz finally wanted to have a normal life without glancing over the shoulder every minute for the rest of her life. „I'll talk to Leach tomorrow."

„Thank you," Liz whispered and placed her ear on his chest, closing her eyes.

He took a deep breath and set his jaw once more. Patricia Leach was the prosecutor they had been working with before Liz disappeared. „I wouldn't expect too much from it, though."

The young woman glanced up and saw his worried expression.

Adam sighed heavily. „The entire DA office want to keep their hands off of his case after he was convinced for 1st-degree murder. Especially after presented himself to the media as a victim of the city of Boston, police harassment and of you."

„Of me," the young detective laughed and furled her brows. „Why me?"

„He claimed that you were the one who was ... obsessed with him," Adam answered and saw the flicker in her eyes, not the good kind of flicker, though. „I'll go and talk to Leach tomorrow."

Liz nodded slowly and took a deep breath. „Thank you." She wiggled out of his arms, went to the fridge and got a bottle of water out of the device. „But maybe I should -"

„No," Adam cut her harshly off because he knew what she was about to say and Liz's brows shot up. „just stay ... away from her. She's still not over it that you nearly ruined the Gibson case."

Liz tilted her head a little and narrowed her eyes. „The Gibson case? The double homicide?"

Adam nodded slowly but vehemently. „Yep."

She put a hand on her hip and furled her brows. „The case almost solved itself before we even start to investigate it. Why did I nearly ruin it?"

Adam scratched his bearded chin and raised his shoulders. „You remember that Martha Gibson got a pretty good public defender?"

Liz nodded slowly and looked confused at him. „Uh, yeah. John Kelley, right?"

„Correct," Adam agreed and cleared his throat. „Well, Kelley questioned every evidence, witness and statement, that's why Leach wanted us to testify in the stand. I showed up in the court, you ... um ... You didn't because you already disappeared without a trace."

Liz nodded once again. She remembered the Gibson case. Martha Gibson killed her forty-five-year-old husband Norris and their ten-year-old son Trent because of a lousy life insurance.

She looked long at him, furled her brows and licked her lips. „And how do you know about all of this."

He swallowed hard and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. „I ... um ... Sometimes I talk to my colleagues and the prosecutors I'm working with."

She pierced him with her gaze and narrowed her eyes. She was well aware of the fact that also other women were attracted to her husband, even more, the older he got. She suddenly got the feeling that she wasn't the only one who didn't tell the entire truth.

She wasn't a jealous person but that didn't mean that she had to like the idea of Adam being with Patricia Leach.

Liz took a deep breath and waved her hand. „Fine, you go and talk to Leach."

Adam watched his wife closely and knew exactly what was going on in her head right now, rolling his eyes." Liz -"

„I have other things to do anyway," she cut him short and turned the corners of her mouth down. „I don't have to bother myself with such a bim -" she cut herself off and smirked humorlessly when she spotted his amused smile.

Adam chuckled and walked to her, kissing her gently. „Come on, I'll order us some Chinese."

Liz got the kitchen knife back in her hand and pointed it at him with a quirked brow, and then she pointed it southwards without saying a word.

„Okay, I'll take that," Adam with a high-pitched voice, taking the knife from his wife's hand.

This time she chuckled and entered the living room. „How's the Red Serpent case going?"

Adam fetched a beer from the fridge after placing the order and followed her. He knew that it bothered Liz that she wasn't on this case anymore. „Slow," he answered and sat down next to her. „And back-breaking."

Liz put her feet in his lap and ran thoughtfully her fingers over her lips. „I've been thinking," she suddenly states, breaking the silence.

Her husband choked on his beer and frowned deeply. „Really?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes, but then she got serious again. „How about we send Zane and Keira for a couple of days to your parents?"

He scrutinized her long and nodded when he saw the worry in her eyes. He knew what she was trying to do, getting at least the kids out of the line of fire. „Sounds good to me."

„You should leave with them."

That idea didn't sound so good to him. He turned a little and glared at her. „And leave you alone?"

„Adam -" she said calmly.

„No," he replied emphatically and raised his brows high.

„Listen -"

„No," he cut her off once more. „I'm not going to leave you alone in this mess."

„I'm not on my own, Adam," she tried to reason with him. „There is Sam, Leslie, Chaz, Ma, Frankie, and Russo."

„But neither of them is your husband," Adam replied louder and got up from the couch. „I am your husband and it is my job to protect you, Elizabeth! You and the little boy upstairs are my responsibility! I understand that you want to send Keira and Zane away so they won't be in danger, but I'm not leaving."

Liz sat there for a second and swallowed hard before she got up as well, pointing to said stairs. „They can't lose you, Adam. They need you more than they need me."

„So it's okay for their mother to die, but it's not okay for their father," he asked harshly.

„You have been there for Zane for all these years, I wasn't," she hissed through clenched teeth. „Zane didn't become the boy he is today because of me, Adam. He became the boy he is because of you."

Adam blinked a few times, turned the corners of his mouth down and raised his shoulders. „Okay, then I quit. I'll hand in my badge and gun and become a stay-at-home dad but I am not leaving the town and I am not leaving you!"

Liz glanced long at him and furrowed her brows because she knew that he'd hand in his badge without hesitation if she'd asked him to but that's something she would never do. „I can't lose you," she whispered on the verge of tears and swallowed hard. „I ... I already watch you dying once and a part of me died with you. And after all these years I still ... see the pictures in my head. How this guy shot you in the chest, you laying on the ground while you were bleeding out and I could nothing do. I still see your blood on my hands and -"

Adam's shoulders slumped when she trailed off and he hurried to her. „But I didn't die," he said calmly and ran his hands over her arms. „I'm right here, in front of you. I didn't die. And you won't get rid of me so easily, and if I have to, I'll tell you that over and over again until you finally believe me." He was glad that she didn't try to avoid his eyes and frowned. „But there's something else you're not telling me. Has it to do with your headache you get every now and then?"

She closed her eyes briefly and shrugged. „I don't know, it's just that our lives took so many turns in the last couple of months that it seems unreal to me. I mean, we had a son and now we're living with a teen together who turned out to be my half-sister. Sometimes I think that my brain is playing tricks on me while I am still in the alley or in a coma. That these headaches are a reminder that none of this is real." she scoffed and shook his head. „I must sound like a lunatic to you."

Adam frowned deeply and cupped her face. „How can I prove that this is real life?"

„I don't know," she sighed with a shake of the head. She wiggled out of his arms again and walked back to the couch. „I'm going to call the schools of the kids tomorrow."

„Okay," he sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

„Unless you wanna take care of that, too."

„Uh, no. No, you go and talk to them. Especially to Zane's headteacher."

Liz looked questioningly at him and blinked a few times before she raised her brows high. „Seriously? You also slept with Ms. Boyer?"

He hesitated a second and then cleared his throat. „No. No, I didn't. Uh ... well ... I took her out a few times but we ... we never had had sex. We made out, though."

„Oh," Liz stated with an amused smile and the tense mood left the room again. „Since when are you into blondes?"

„Actually," Adam replied almost shyly and scratched his chest. „I've always been into blondes, you are the exception."

„I don't know if I should feel flattered," she said with furled brows and a smile.

„You should," her husband countered and flopped down next to her.

Liz glanced at him and smiled. She raised her hand and shook the head when he offered her his beer. „Thanks but no."

He furled his brows but shrugged.

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Adam carried one of Zane's suitcases down the stairs, followed by Keira, who carried a duffle bag.

„I'd sleep much better if you guys would go with the kids," Jane stated while sipping her coffee.

„So would I," Maura agreed with a frown.

Liz rolled her eyes as she tried to shift her son, who was clinging to her, to her other hip. „Do we have to talk about this once again, Mom? We won't sit this thing out in Detroit while you guys put your lives at stake."

„This isn't about sitting it out," Jane retorted and furrowed her brows. „It's about being cautious and making sure that these two won't ... be alone."

Adam groaned and shrugged when Keira looked surprised at him. Since his parents-in-law arrived they came up with good reasons why he and Liz should leave the town with Keira and Zane.

Liz knew exactly what Jane was indicated with being left alone and glared at her Ma. „I will not put Zane and Keira in danger just because we go with them to Michigan, let alone Susanne and Paul."

Adam stopped and turned the corners of his mouth down. He liked that objection pretty much.

„And what about the rest of your family," Maura suddenly wanted to know and her daughter froze. „What about Ma, Sammy, Frankie and me? Aren't we in danger if you and Adam stay in Boston?"

Keira put the bag down and whispered with big eyes, „Uh-oh."

Liz stared at the former ME and Zane whimpered with a nod. „You guys are free to go with them to Detroit."

Zane whimpered once more and tightened his hold.

Adam sighed and tried to take his son from Liz's arms. „Come on, buddy. I wanna hold you for some time too before you have to leave."

„No," the boy whined and buried his face in his mother's hair.

The younger brunette sighed loudly and rubbed soothingly his back. „And besides, don't you think that I want to put you and Ma on the plane to Detroit too so I know that you're safe?"

„Only over my dead body," Jane grumbled into her mug and winced when Maura swatted her arm. „Ow!"

Liz pressed her lips together and pointed at Jane. „I would have to chain her and duct-tape her mouth before I could get her near that plane."

„Or to put me in a coma," Jane added and winced once more.

Keira giggled and cleared her throat when she glanced at a not so amused Adam.

„Yes, I get it, Jane," Maura growled. „We wouldn't even get your dead body to Detroit."

„Exactly," Jane agreed and put her mug down on the counter.

The blonde huffed and shook her head. „Why do I have a family that is stubborn as a mule instead of a normal one?"

Jane grinned and pulled her wife closer. „Because you fell in love with me even though you knew that I and my eggs are stubborn."

Maura smiled this time while rolling her eyes.

Keira's brows shot up high. „Jane's your biological mother?"

Liz nodded slowly and thrust her chin at Maura. „Yes, and Mom carried me."

„That's kinda cool," the teen said impressed.

„It is, isn't it," Liz replied and furled her brows when Zane started to trace her lips and lines with his fingers like he was about to memorize each of it.

Maura glanced worriedly at her son-in-law and Adam sighed heavily.

„It'll be alright, baby," Liz whispered against Zane's head and forced herself to smile when he looked at her. „You and Keira are gonna be back in no time."

Zane finally lifted his head and shook it. „I don't want to go to Detroit."

She smiled tightly and took a deep breath. „I know but it's only for a little while. I promise."

„You promised to never go away and then I didn't see you for eternities," the boy shot back and his bottom lip trembled.

The entire house fell silent after his outburst.

Maura gasped quietly and she saw the pain in her daughter's eyes.

Jane licked her lips and closed her eyes for a second while Adam frowned deeply.

Keira looked confused at them and didn't know how to react so she stood still.

Liz looked long at her son and swallowed down the lump in her throat. „I know," she croaked furrowed her brows. „But this time it won't be the same. I promise. When you come back home I'll be the first to welcome you, to kiss you hello." She kissed his temple and a tear slipped down her face. „Because I love you to the moon and back."

Zane cupped her face and looked her deep in the eye. „I love you too, Mama." He tried her tear and frowned. „Don't cry, okay?"

Liz couldn't help her smile and nod. „Okay."

Jane cleared her throat and took Keira's duffle bag after she got up from her chair. „I'll take that."

The teen avoided her eyes and whispered, „Thanks."

Adam looked long at his wife and ran his hand over Zane's back. „Can I hold you a couple of seconds before you're leaving, buddy?"

The boy nodded and climbed into the waiting arms of his father before Adam started to head for the front door.

Keira walked silently beside Liz and glanced every now and then at the woman. She inhaled the cold air. „I didn't mean to cause -" she gasped when she found herself in the arms of her sister.

Liz hugged her tightly and nodded with closed eyes. „I know," she whispered and looked at the girl. „You take good care of yourself and your nephew."

Keira studied Liz thoroughly and nodded with a frown. She couldn't shake the feeling of that this would be a farewell. „Yeah," she agreed softly. „of course."

„And call if you need to talk."

„I even call if I don't need to talk."

Liz chuckled and hugged her once again while her husband put Zane in his booster seat. „Yes, please do that. Day and night."

Jane opened the driver's door of her car and glanced at her daughter. „We'll be back in a couple of hours."

„Drive safely," Liz replied when her mothers got in the car and blew Zane a kiss before they drove off.

Adam watched the car and wrapped his arm around the shoulders of his wife. „It's the right call."

„Yes," Liz breathed and put her head on his shoulder. „I know but that doesn't make it any easier."

He closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head because he felt that this decision was weighing heavy on Liz, and it was weighing heavy on him, too. „You said it yourself, Zane and Keira will be back in no time."

Liz closed her eyes and swallowed her sob. She thought the same the night she left for San Diego and it took her five years to come back to Boston, to her family, back to herself.

Only now Adam understood how hard his wife must have been struggling with herself the night she left them for the greater good and that the greater good prevailed her own happiness even though she didn't know what she'd get herself into. „I'm sorry," he suddenly whispered into her hair.

She shook his head without looking at him. „You have nothing to be sorry about."

„Oh, yes, I do," he stated and lifted her chin. „I am sorry for thinking so many times in those years that you were an ice-cold, selfish bitch after your left us. I couldn't have known that you were at odds with yourself after you decided to leave to keep Zane and me safe."

Liz wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes because she suddenly felt that he finally understood with what thoughts she struggled day in, day out.

He kissed her head once more and took a deep breath. „Come, let's go back in before you catch a cold."

She nodded and walked arm in arm with her husband back up the stairs to their house.

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Adam came down the stairs and sighed in frustration.

Almost four weeks had passed since he and Liz sent the kids to Detroit and neither he nor his wife made any notable progress in their cases. He had a daily video chat with Zane and Keira but it wasn't the same, the house in Boston was too quiet without them.

He heaved a sigh when he entered the kitchen and looked at Liz who stood behind the kitchen counter. „Is there anything you wanna tell me?"

Liz looked up and frowned a little. „Did I forgot that you don't like mashed potatoes, green beans or meatloaf?"

„I'm not talking about dinner," he answered seriously.

She smiled a little but furled her brows. „Then I have no clue what you're talking about."

„You sure?"

„Yes, I am," she laughed but became serious when he clenched his jaw. „What's wrong?"

Adam stepped behind the counter and pulled a positive pregnancy test out of the back pocket of his jeans, handing it to her.

Liz's mouth dropped open and she didn't move. „Oh," she breathed.

„Since when do you know," Adam wanted to know.

Liz licked her lips, raised her brows and shook her head. „Since now. I did do the test right after I came home from work. I must have left it in the bathroom."

He nodded slowly and frowned deeply without saying a word.

„Oh," she breathed once more and approached him. „Adam, it's yours. I didn't sleep with anyone else but you since I am back in Boston."

„So it's just a coincident that you got pregnant shortly after Russo showed up in the city?"

„Well, yes," she answered with a smile and wrapped her arms around him, slipping her hand underneath his shirt. „I already told you that I only slept with you since I am back in town. And when I was with someone else I always imagined that it would be you."

„And yet I wonder why you don't have a bunch of kids," he whispered and made a face.

Liz chuckled and quirked a brow. „I always had the thought back in my mind that they indeed weren't you and they never touched me the way you do."

Adam blinked a few times and swallowed hard when he thought about the way she reacted when he was with her. How she arched her back and swallowed a moan so she wouldn't wake any of the kids. How her body reacted instantly at the slightest touch of him, how she pulled him deep inside her. He cleared his throat to think straight. „So ... when ... when did you think that you could be pregnant and decided not to tell me?"

Liz looked up and shrugged. „Shortly before we decided to send Keira and Zane to your parents. I didn't know for sure, though, I just ... had the feeling that I might be pregnant."

He looked angrily at her. „And you didn't tell me? Instead, you wanted me to leave with the kids?"

„Because they need you."

„They need you, too," Adam shouted and threw his arms up after taking his space. „I need you, too. Do you still think that this is some kind of parallel universe while you're in a coma or something? That you'll come back every time after you died? You being a little more pregnant and Zane being a little older after your reincarnation?"

„Adam, stop," she whispered and closed her eyes.

„No, I won't stop." He yelled and ran his hand through his hair. „Why do you even think that this is some kind of coma dream?"

Liz squinted at the ceiling and blinked back her tears. „Because the last thought I had before I blacked-out was that I would never see you and Zane again! That I would never have more children than just one with you even though I wanted to have a whole football team with you! I wanted to have the house, the kids and the dog with you and I was so sure that I would never have it because I was dying in this fucking alley. And the next thing I know is that I have you back and that I have Zane back and that there's suddenly a teenage girl who turns out to be my sister. This can't be real. Neither of this can be real. MY HUSBAND WOULD STILL HATE ME FOR WHAT I DONE TO HIM AND OUR SON!"

„I still hate you for leaving me in the dark, for leaving us in the dark," Adam growled and grabbed her wrists, turning them up. „I hate you for not telling me what's going on in the head of yours. I hate you for pretending that you're fine. I could've helped you, Jane could've helped you, let alone Maura."

She wanted to pull her hands out of his and hissed, „Let go of my damn hands."

„Jane could've helped you," Adam replied with big eyes. „She's been through the same as you." He tugged her hands back and frowned with kind eyes. „This is real, Elizabeth. This is our life and I don't know why you didn't confide in me, why you didn't tell me that you have those thoughts." He paused and his desperation was clearly visible. „I want my wife back. My real wife. I want the woman back that this son of a bitch took away from me years ago. The one who was horrified the second she found out she was pregnant with our first child."

„I was horrified because I had a miscarriage before," Liz whispered and wiped her tears off her face.

„And yet our son turned out damn fine, didn't he?"

„Yeah," she agreed and licked her lips. „Yeah, he's perfect."

Adam stepped closer and placed his hand carefully on her belly. „And this little one in there won't be any less perfect."

Liz closed her eyes and chuckled humorlessly. „Oh yeah? Are you sure about this? Because right now I'm a total mess who can't tell what's real and what's not."

Adam buried her in his arms and closed his eyes. „You still need time to heal and a little help, Elizabeth."

„How can you be so perfect," she asked against his chest.

„I am anything but perfect," he replied with a small smile.

„You're perfect for me," she stated and looked up, humming when he kissed her but then she frowned when she saw his worried expression. „What is it?"

He swallowed hard and shrugged. „I just realized that we need to be a little more careful after ... Unless we really wanna a very own football team."

Liz stared at him before rolling her eyes with a chuckle.

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Liz didn't miss that Jane had been silent on their way to Black Rock, Connecticut. She also didn't feel the need to talk while watching the Boston scenery from the passenger seat.

She wanted to talk to Dianna Martens before she faced her worst nightmare.

Moreover, the young woman was trying to come to terms with the fact that she had only yesterday learned that she was pregnant again and had, first of all, argued with the father of her children about why she hadn't told him that she had the feeling of being pregnant. The best part about that was that she then had a proper meltdown and that she finally admitted to Adam what was actually going on in her head. That she was stuck in some kind of coma dream. At least she had finally discarded this thought without Adam institutionalizing her.

Liz took a deep breath and looked briefly at her mother. „I got something to tell you."

Jane didn't look at her, gritted her teeth and nodded with a sigh. „Okay."

The young woman opened her mouth but the words she actually wanted to say didn't come out. Instead, she said, „The only thing I've never missed in the last five years is Boston's cold seasons."

Jane furled her brows and looked at her daughter before focusing back on the street. „Really? That's what you wanted to tell me? That you didn't miss Boston's cold seasons?"

Liz leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a second. „No, not really?"

Jane pursed her lips and nodded slowly. „I thought so. So, what's really on your mind?"

Liz swallowed hard and licked her lips. „I'm pregnant," she answered straightforwardly.

The former lieutenant almost maneuvered the car into the oncoming traffic and Liz clung shocked to the handle.

„Ma," the younger woman gasped in horror.

Jane regained control and swallowed hard before glancing at the younger brunette. „Congrats," she stated, trying to smile. „How long have you been pregnant?"

„Since yesterday." Liz paused and rolled her eyes when she saw her mother's confused look. „Well, I've known since yesterday that I'm pregnant. That's what I wanted to say."

Jane nodded slowly again and frowned. „And does Adam know about it?"

„Yes, he found the positive pregnancy test I left in the bathroom."

The older woman was quiet for a moment and sighed again. „Isn't this the worst possible time to -"

„Ma, it's not like Adam and I planned it," Liz replied with furrowed brows when Jane fell silent. „I mean, we haven't even talked about having more kids since Keira's living with us. And of course, there can be no worse time than this to become pregnant."

Jane stopped at a red light and turned a little in her seat. „Is that supposed to mean that you -"

„No," Liz cut her off, shaking her head. She knew exactly what her mother was about to ask if she'd abort the pregnancy. „No, it's not the fault of an unborn baby that Adam and I have been careless one night."

Jane inhaled deeply and nodded approvingly before she finally started to smile. „I'm really happy for you, Liz. And you know that Mom and I will always be there for you whenever you need our help."

Liz heaved a relieved sigh and smiled as well. „Yes, I know."

Jane drove on when the lights turned green and raised her brows. „Zane will be thrilled." She felt Liz's skeptical gaze on her and smiled. „When you were still in San Diego, he kept asking me why I had two brothers and he didn't. He also said that it sure is cool to be the big brother."

Liz made a face but couldn't hide her grin. „Really?"

The former lieutenant nodded again. „Mhm."

„We'll see if Zane thinks that it's a cool thing to be the big brother in a few months."

Jane chuckled amused and wiggled her brows.

Liz turned her head to the other woman. „Is it cool to be the oldest?"

This time Jane made a face. „Nah, it sucks most of the time."

Liz laughed heartily and her mother grinned broadly.

Jane suddenly got serious again and gritted her teeth. „Can I ask you a question?"

Liz inhaled deeply and shrugged. „Sure."

„You know that I don't work only with you, I also work with Adam and Russo."

„Yes, I've noticed."

„How did you meet Russo?"

„He tried to recruit me for the FBI, I already told you."

„Liz, I was a little longer than you a detective and I know that the FBI doesn't go into a precinct and try to poach any cop that crosses their way." Jane frowned and furrowed her brows when her daughter glanced at her. „I know from my own experience that in most cases there's a crucial reason why an FBI agent thinks a cop would be a good addition to the agency."

„And how do you know that?"

„Do you really think you're the first Rizzoli the FBI wanted to poach from the police?"

„No," the younger woman mumbled and sighed. „not really."

Jane waited patiently but Liz still didn't answer her question. „So, how did Russo and you meet?"

Liz sighed and ran her fingers over her right brow. „The first time Russo and I worked together was when I accidentally caught a case of a serial killer in San Diego who spread fear and terror nationwide. He had held several women captive for weeks in a cellar, sexually abused them before he got tired of them and killed those women. At that time Waterston was still my partner but he didn't have much interest in really solving this case. You know me how I can be when I think that there's something beyond wrong. So after consultation with Winters, I called the Agency and asked if there were already cases with the same MO and that's how Russo got into the picture for the first time."

„If I remember right I saw this case in the news. But as far as I know, the FBI took credits for solving this case."

„Yeah, that really pissed me off, but I had to keep a low profile because I was undercover already," Liz replied with furrowed brows.

Jane nodded slowly and took a deep breath. „So you and Russo worked together more often than just once?"

„Yes, a few times. And then he suggested that I should join the FBI."

„And why didn't you accept the offer?"

Liz was quiet again and set her jaw when she glanced out of the window. „It has to do with one of my last cases in San Diego."

Jane waited once more and looked at her daughter only to see that she still hadn't proceeded that memory. „Was it that bad?"

Liz took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. „It was a disaster."

„Wanna talk about it?"

„Not really," the young detective sniffled and licked her lips. „Russo and his former partner and close friend Scott Dajos were investigating traffickers and found out that some cops of SDPD were working for those bastards so Russo and Dajos talked to Winters and requested my services for this investigation."

Jane blinked a few times. „It's pretty unusual to ask for the help of a homicide detective."

„Dajos and Russo already knew that I am capable to think a little more abstractly than other detectives."

„Yeah, it's boon and bane." Jane scratched the back of her neck. „So you worked with them again."

„I should mention that this case was not one of the kind I've already worked on, it was a tough case," Liz stated and pressed her lips together, closing her eyes briefly. „Those traffickers kidnapped children and after some time sold them off to a particular clientele. You can imagine what those people did to those kids."

Jane gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. „Unfortunately."

The young woman nodded with a serious expression and closed her eyes for a second. „Eventually we were able to break one of the corrupt cops and figure out where the kids were held, hostage. So, FBI and SDPD went to an abandoned industrial site only to find out that someone else warned the trafficker and that they wouldn't go down without a fight, so some kind of a state of siege took place. That negotiator had repeatedly tried to make contact with them and they made demands that couldn't be fulfilled under any circumstances." She stopped and closed her eyes once more. „We spent two days trying to understand that there was no way out for them. In those two days, I tried to make Russo, Dajos and their bosses understand that the traffickers were playing on time for some reason and that we should intervene immediately, in vain. The third day SWAT, FBI, and SDPD went in. There was a shootout in which several officers and agents died, including Dajos. After we got the upper hand and made some arrests we went into the warehouse only to find the bodies of sixteen kids. We got to know that those kids between the age of three and fourteen had been poisoned with Rodenticide the day the siege took place. We hadn't had a chance to save them. After the FBI cast the blame on SDPD I told them that they could kiss my ass."

Jane was quiet again and furled her brows. She also had seen said siege in the news and even though that she had seen her daughter in the crowd of cops and agents but Maura told her that she was just seeing things she wished to see. Obviously, her wife had been wrong. „Was that the day you decided to go back to Boston?"

„I came back to Boston because Waterston wanted to talk to me about something."

„Do you remember what it was that he wanted to talk about?"

„No."

The former lieutenant nodded briefly and licked her lips. „Does Adam know about the siege and how it turned out?"

The younger woman didn't look at her and shook her head. „I never spoke about this case."

„Okay," Jane sighed and licked her lips.

Liz took some time and then turned her head to her mother. „Why didn't you join the FBI?"

Jane took a deep breath and scratched her chin. „Back then, I had a damn good reason not to leave Boston." She looked at her daughter and cracked a smile. „That reason was your Mom. And after that, she became pregnant with you and that was the other reason not to join the FBI."

Liz rubbed her neck and grinned broadly.

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Liz sat down on the small couch in the living room of the tranquil detached house in Black Rock, Connecticut and tried to smile at Nicolas and Dianna Martens while Jane sat down next to her. „Thank you for seeing us," she said in a friendly voice.

„Did something happen to Cody," the older woman wanted to know and she glanced at her husband.

Jane shook her head with a small smile. „No, we're just having a few questions about an ongoing case for Cody, Mrs. Martens."

„And what kind of questions are these," Nicolas wanted to know and seemed to be a little more suspicious about the two women.

Jane raised briefly her brows and licked her lips. „Questions about a murder."

„And what does our son have to do with the murder?"

„That's why we're here," Liz answered and furrowed her brows. „To figure that out. Maybe he's nothing to do with it at all, but during our investigation, his name popped up several times and that the victim had worked as an investigator for a lawyer Cody had hired some time ago. We just want to know if he ever met the victim in the past."

„Why the hell would my son hire a lawyer if he isn't in trouble," Nicolas wanted to know and Liz pressed her lips together.

Dianna Martens hesitated before she looked at him. „He didn't hire that lawyer for himself, Nicolas."

„And for whom did he hired him?"

Jane looked at her daughter from the corner of the eyes and held her breath.

„For whom did he hire that damn lawyer," the older man suddenly yelled and his wife flinched.

Liz frowned, held up a hand and glanced sympathetically at Dianna. „Dianna, for who did he hired a lawyer?"

The older woman hesitated once more. „For William Hanley. His half-brother."

Nicolas growled loudly and got up without a warning, running his hands through his gray hair. „Jesus Christ, I told both of you to stay away from this psychopath, didn't I?"

Jane raised her brows and looked long at him. „You don't seem to be very fond of William Hanley."

„He's a weirdo," Nicolas growled through gritted teeth. „He sees himself as a victim of the police and justice even though everyone in Boston knows that he shot those police officers for no reason. Allegedly because they were friends with another female police officer and because they had been against his relationship with him. Who knows if this Elsa Rizzo ever really existed."

Liz's heard dropped and she glanced with big eyes at the former lieutenant. „Is that the female officer's name? Elsa Rizzo?"

„Why? Why does it matter?"

Liz didn't answer his question but wondered if she just made Will's involvement up and that he actually had nothing to do with Waterston's dead. That another woman named Elsa Rizzo became a victim of his obsession, a woman whose name was terrifically similar to hers.

„Her name isn't Elsa Rizzo," Dianna suddenly stated, got up and went to a shelf to get out a worn photo album. „Bur the name is pretty similar to hers. When I was visiting Will with Cody the last time, he was talking about the woman all the time."

Jane closed her eyes for a second and licked her lips. „When was that?"

„A year and a half ago," the older woman answered and flicked through the album. „I stopped visiting him after he started claiming that this woman would be responsible for him being in jail, that she'd framed him for these murders so she could be with another man. That was too much for me and severed all contact with Will."

„If this girl even exists," repeated Nicolas once more.

„She exists," his wife shot back and frowned deeply. „During my last visit, Will gave me a picture of the two and asked me to keep it until he would be released."

„And you were that stupid to believe that he would really be released from prison one day?"

„Hey," Jane barked and glared at Nicolas.

„That's enough," Liz stated warningly and the man raised his hands.

„Of course not," Dianna replied sharply. „I just couldn't make myself throwing that picture away because it is one of his better days."

Liz skidded forward and wanted to tell the woman that they didn't need to see the picture to believe Dianna.

Dianna's eyes shot up when she founded it and frowned deeply. „I knew I'd seen your face before. You're the woman Will was always talking about."

The detective swallowed heavily and closed her eyes.

Nicolas stepped towards her. „Is that true?"

At that moment, Jane hated being unarmed. She was sure that she could take it up with the brawny man only for a little while.

Liz licked her lips and nodded with furrowed brows. „Yes, it's true. Will and I had been in a relationship years ago, but I can assure you that I didn't frame him for murder just to be with another man. He went crazy I broke up with him. He even stalked me."

„You weren't the first one William got obsessed with," Nicolas suddenly sighed and flopped down next to his wife.

Jane released her breath when the situation calmed down again and glanced questioningly at him. „What do you mean?"

He ran his hands over his face and sighed once more. „Will is the result of a really short-lived affair I had with his mother Sarah. When I found out about the pregnancy I told her that I'd take responsibility for the boy but that I wouldn't divorce my wife. This agreement kept Sarah and me in touch and I visited Will every two weeks. In high school he had a pretty serious relationship with a girl called Debbie Wilkinson, he even thought about proposing to her, but at the end of the senior year she broke up with him because she had been accepted in Yale. Will didn't take that pretty well and followed Debbie everywhere until the girl and her parents obtained a restraining order. He wasn't allowed to come closer to Debbie than twenty yards but that didn't hold him back."

Jane frowned deeply and blinked a few times. „And why isn't this noted in his record? With that in it, he couldn't have become a cop."

„It has benefits when you are friends with some DA's," Nicolas reluctantly replied and closed his eyes for the split of a second. „Listen, I'm not proud that I asked my friend get Will's juvie record sealed. I had no idea that my son would snap one day and shoot cops. But when he told me that he wanted to become a sop to serve and protect, I really thought I'd get him back on the straight and narrow. I didn't mean to spoil his chances."

Liz closed her eyes to force the upcoming tears with a shake of her head back. „Is the name of your DA friend Benjamin Payton?"

Nicolas glanced confused at her and shook his head, too. „No, his name is Jeremy Leach. „Why?"

The young detective gasped and glanced at her mother.

„Does Cody believe that his brother's innocent," the former lieutenant wanted to know.

Dianna scoffed and inhaled deeply. „William could tell him that the sky would be purple and the grass orange, Cody would believe it without a doubt."

Liz nodded slowly. „Does Cody also have any deviant behaviors?"

Nicolas turned the corners of his mouth downwards and shook his head. „He was a perfectly normal young man, perhaps a little too gullible, but yes, he's changed after his last tour."

Jane got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. „He's in the Army?"

Nicolas nodded once again. „He was honorably discharged a year and a half ago, after the last tour. After that, he visited Will every single week in prison."

„Why are you asking these questions about Cody," Dianna asked and Nicolas took her hand in his.

Jane didn't answer the question and glanced at her daughter only to see that Liz was struggling with herself at that moment.

The young detective swallowed hard and frowned deeply because she knew that there was no easy way to tell them that their poster child was, in reality, an ice-cold murderer. She licked her lips and held Dianna's gaze. „We have to assume that Cody was involved in at least two murders in the Boston area."

„No," Dianna cried out loud, collapsed and Nicolas pulled her into his arms with a loud and frustrated groan.

„Please give me a call if Cody contacts you," Liz stated when she got up and put her business card on the coffee table.

„Detective," Dianna whimpered.

Jane was about to follow her daughter and stopped.

Liz closed her eyes before turning to the desperate mother.

„Can you make sure our son doesn't get hurt?"

Jane opened her mouth to tell the detective that she couldn't promise such a thing as long as Cody Martens avoided his arrest.

„I'll try," Liz answered with a deep frown and a nod.

„Thank you."

Jane took a deep breath and followed the other brunette out of the living room and out of the house, handing her the keys. „You okay?"

Liz unlocked the car and took off her jacket. „No," she answered with tears evident in her voice.

„Did you know about Debbie Wilkinson?"

„I knew that Will and Debbie were in a relationship in high school. And that she was killed in a car accident on her way to New Haven."

Jane opened the passenger's door and furrowed her brows. „Do you think that it was a coincidence?"

The younger woman threw her jacket on the backseat and opened the driver's door. „Ma, what did you teach me about coincidences?"

Jane quirked a brow. „That there are none?"

„Exactly," Liz nodded and rolled her eyes when her phone started buzzing.

„What is it?"

„We need to get back to Boston as fast as possible."

„Well, then let's switch places."

„Hell no," Liz laughed and Jane chuckled before they got into the unmarked car.

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Russo ducked under the fluttering police tape and rubbed his gloved hands. „I certainly won't miss the cold when I get back to California."

Adam rolled his eyes and shrugged, and Sam grinned amusedly. „It's just a matter of ability to adapt." He thrust his chin at Chaz. „Chaz, what do we got?"

The officer led the three into an alley and frowned. „A male victim, eighteen. Apparently executed."

„Did the ME confirmed that?"

„Nope."

Adam quirked a brow. „Any witnesses?"

„Nope."

The detective scowled at Chaz but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Rose standing next to the body and Maura crouching down, examining the body closely. „Enjoying yourself, Dr. Isles?"

Maura looked up and smiled broadly. „Actually, I had other plans today but yes. It's been a while since I have been on an active crime scene."

Adam grinned and wiggled his brows. „Glad we made your day. What can you tell us, Maura?"

The former switched immediately into her working mode and pointed at the back of the man's head, „Two gunshot wounds to the back of his head. According to the burn marks shot from a very close range."

„So the barrel was put on his head before he got shot," Adam asked while Sam was taking notes.

„Most likely," Maura replied a little too joyful while examining the body of the young man. „I wouldn't rule out an execution since Rose and I found abrasions on his hands and knees. Let alone the bruising in his face."

Sam looked up from his notebook. „So he was beaten and then forced down on his hands and knees?"

„That would explain the excrement on his hands and the jeans, yes."

„I don't even want to know how you know that these are excrement," the young man muttered and the ME chuckled while he made a face.

„So this is a drug deal gone wrong. The boy wanted to get his next shot and tried to diddle the dealer. Why exactly am I hear," Russo wanted to know.

Maura's face darkened and she turned the head of the victim so it was clearly visible, as well as the dried blood around his mouth. „His tongue has been removed, and as far as I know that is a warning in certain milieus. Doesn't a removed tongue mean to shut a traitor up?"

Russo sighed loudly and nodded slowly. „Yes in milieus like gangs and the mafia."

Adam closed his eyes briefly and turned his attention to Sam, who turned pale. „Sammy, you okay?"

Sam blinked a few times while Adam helped Maura to get up to her feet. „His name is Darren."

„You know the victim," Adam asked surprised.

„That's the kid who warned Liz about Ortiz and the Red Serpents," the young man answered thoughtfully.

„Oh," Maura breathed and glanced anxiously at her son-in-law.

Adam put off his gloves and took his phone out of his pocket.

„Who are you calling," Russo demanded to know.

Adam frowned deeply but didn't look at him. „I write Liz that we found the boy who warned her about Ortiz dead."

„No!"

The Detective raised his eyes while the crime scene became quiet. „What?"

Russo felt the eyes of the others on him but he stood his ground. „You're not telling her about this. This is an FBI investigation now."

Adam straightened up and stepped closer to Russo, growling, „Listen, pal. You might have this little frigging FBI badge that makes you think that you are special or even better than any of us, but this is my town and you are my guest, so you're playing by my rules. And if I say it's necessary to inform about Darren then you smile nod and agree because Liz isn't the only one who has connections. Understood?"

Russo clenched his jaw and nodded reluctantly.

Maura smirked and stood shoulder to shoulder with Adam. „Well spoken."

„Thank you," Adam whispered and sighed. „I just hope I didn't make a mistake."

„You did not," Maura assured and he sent the text with a nod.

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 **Hey, guys. Thanks for still sticking with this story. I know that this story is dragging on and I want to thank you for your reviews first of all. Every time I start a chapter of this story I have the thought that it will also be the last one while I listen to the title music of the PS4 game Become Human: Detroit, especially Kara. And I always have new thoughts that I want to share with you. I also love to write about Liz and Adam, so it's hard for me to finish this story once and for all even though I know that all good things come to an end sometime.**

 **I'll try to finish this story in the next chapters so the updates will be a little longer so I can accommodate most of my ideas.**

 **See you soon,**

 **T73.**


	19. Chapter 19

Liz stood in the autopsy room staring at Daren's lifeless body on the table. You could exactly see what she was thinking at that moment. That she was asking herself why so many people had to die because of her.

Maura emerged with a smile from her former office but it died instantly when she spotted her daughter standing in the autopsy room. She glanced long at the detective and took a deep breath. „It's not your fault, Elizabeth."

The young woman didn't blink and didn't look at her mother. „I'm trying to tell that myself all the time and every time I come to the same conclusion. That the boy only had to die because he wanted to do the right thing and warned me about Curtis Ortiz. That in recent times everyone who's even near me has to die."

Maura nodded slowly and swallowed hard. „It's not your fault Darren was murdered. He's chosen a lifestyle for himself that -"

„Yes," the younger woman cuts the former ME off. „I know. Because he has decided to chum up with Ortiz because his life experience was not high enough to know better. That's what I keep telling myself, too. But we checked his life out only to find out that Darren actually was a good kid, besides the fact that he hung out with the wrong people. He told Sam and me that he only hung out with Ortiz and his ... people to impress a few girls and he also told us that he wanted have nothing to do with cops being killed. And then he was the one who ended up in the morgue because he warned me. And that's what I have to tell his parents, that I am responsible for his death."

„Can't Adam and Sam talk to Darren's parents," Maura wanted to know with a frown. „Maybe you should take a break and have a video chat with Zane and Keira."

Liz nodded slowly and smiled weakly at her mother. „I'll do that after I had a talk with Darren's parents." She hesitated for a second before her eyes fell on the provisional autopsy report.

Maura's frown deepened and she licked her lips. „Darren was shot with a

Small caliber. The tongue was removed postmortem."

„You already suspected that this was meant as a warning to other snitches," Liz stated and accepted the clipboard when Maura handed it to her. „If I wouldn't know better, I'd think Darren was a victim of a robbery gone wrong. And if his tongue wouldn't be cut out." She looked up and blinked a couple of times. „Is the blood alcohol level correct?"

Maura pursed her lips and nodded slowly. „Yes, Darren was dead drunk when he was shot last night."

Liz handed Maura the clipboard back and took off without looking at the former ME. „Thank you."

Her daughter had left before Maura even could open her mouth and rolled her eyes because she knew such behavior from her wife. „You're welcome," she mumbled and a small smile played around her lips.

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Adam entered the bullpen and handed the attendants sandwiches. He glanced at Russo before he handed him his.

Liz was sitting at her desk and waved when her husband turned to her, rolling her eyes when he glared at her. „The area where Darren was found is normally very busy at night and with the alcohol, in his system, I hardly can imagine that nobody saw the boy being led into the alley and that nobody heard the shots."

Sam was already biting into his sandwich and frowned. „You shouldn't forget that the Red Serpents had had this neighbor firmly under control for several years."

Liz unwrapped her own lunch and frowned deeply.

„Sam's right," Jane agreed and sat down at the large table. „Those bastards ruled this neighbor for about three years. We'll hardly be able to convince anyone to reliable statements unless someone has the wish to end up like Darren."

„That's their scam," Russo added, sniffling his sandwich before taking a bite. „They spread fear and terror in a neighborhood until the people stop resisting the Red Serpents. And if someone decides to do the right thing, the person has bad luck, stumbles over their feet and falls down the stairs and ends up with a broken neck. Or has a fatal car accident or gets shot in a drive-by."

„Or they jump out of a window in the tenth floor or they hang themselves," Sam added and Russo nodded approvingly.

Liz glanced at the two men while chewing on her sandwich, frowning once again. „But I can't imagine Darren tumbling into an alley, shooting himself twice in the back of his head and then cutting out his own tongue. The Red Serpents can't sell this as a suicide."

„But as a robbery," Russo replied and lifted his brows.

She slowed her chewing and nodded thoughtfully. „Then we have to change our tactics. We'll ask Ortiz politely to come to the BPD and ask what he's heard about Darren's assassination."

Jane lowered her brows and tilted her head without saying a word.

Sam frowned deeply and glanced almost worried at Adam.

Russo furled his brows because he didn't know what was going on and scratched his chin. „Why?"

Liz wriggled her brows and smiled a little. „It'll make Ortiz believe that we're still in the dark and that he's the only one who can help us finding Darren's killer while we use that against him."

Adam dropped his food to his desk and stood up, rubbing his hands. „May I talk to you privately, Detective?"

Jane swallowed hard and licked her lips while avoiding her daughter's eyes.

Liz pulled the corners of her mouth down and followed him into the conference room. „What's the matter? You just fed me in front of the whole team and now you want to have a one-to-one?"

Adam placed his hands on his hips and paced up and down in the room. „Do you think that you're the first person who has the idea of involving Ortiz in our investigation?"

„Apparently not," the young woman murmured and lifted briefly her brows.

He ran his hand over his forehead and almost seemed to be upset. „I'd at least have appreciated if you'd let me know about your plan, Liz."

„I didn't know that I have to inform you about every single thought that I have."

Adam stopped and dropped his chin to his chest before he raised his eyes again. „Remember Lester Potts?"

Liz shifted her weight from one foot to the other and nodded slowly. „Yeah, he joined Homicide right after me. He's a good detective."

„He was a good detective," her husband shot back, gritting his teeth.

She furrowed her brows and glanced questioningly at him. „What's that supposed to mean?"

Adam inhaled deeply and dropped his hands again. „Potts was killed two years ago."

„What," the young woman breathed and her eyes grew big.

Adam pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. He knew that Lester Potts and Liz didn't always agree when it was about work, but at the end of the day, they made their peace with each other over a beer. „Potts had a similar idea as you and had called Ortiz's right hand in, shortly after that he was ambushed and stabbed to death by a couple of beatniks of Red Serpents. Sam and I were able to arrest those douchebags the same night, but these kids were so loyal to Ortiz that they didn't even have a chance to

drop a dime on their boss to save their own skin." He stopped and clenched his jaw. „We knew from the beginning that the kids only acted on Ortiz's order to earn their stripes. Of course, Curtis Ortiz vehemently denied that he had anything to do with Potts' murder. That's why we couldn't arrest the son of a bitch, because we could connect him with the murder. Ortiz always hides behind the members that he can use as fall guys."

Liz pressed her lips together and frowned. „What about his girlfriend and daughter?"

„May moved with Lisa to her parents in Colorado Springs."

She sighed loudly and nodded slowly. „I'm not Lester Potts, Adam. I know that it's really risky and that we have to be extremely careful afterwards, but I also know that we have to give Ortiz and his people a start so that he finally understands that his days as a free man are over once and for all."

Adam set his jaw and took a deep breath.

Maura entered the bullpen and sat down next to her wife while Jane was glancing to the conference room with a frown. „What's going on?"

„I think Adam's telling our daughter about Lester Potts right now."

„Oh," the former ME breathed and thanked Jane when she handed her a mixed salad. „Didn't you tell her about his death?"

„I didn't get the chance."

Maura stared in disbelief at her wife and rolled her eyes. „Liz has been back in Boston for more than six months, why didn't get you the chance to tell her?"

Jane turned her head and opened her mouth to answer the question, but stopped and closed it again because she couldn't come up with a good explanation.

Adam pointed at Liz and stepped closer. „We're using our power to get the damn cross off your back and you're sabotaging us. Do you have a death wish?"

Liz raised her brows and pushed his finger down. „It'll work, Ortiz will try to save his skin and will make mistakes. Trust me, Adam."

Adam glared at her and set his jaw once again, grumbling reluctantly, „Fine, let's summon Ortiz."

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Curtis Ortiz sat in an interrogation room and couldn't hide his smug grin while inspecting his nails.

Liz sat across from him and frowned. „You don't seem too surprised we found Darren's body in an alley."

Ortiz slowly raised his eyes and eyed her just like a predator eyed its prey. „Should I be surprised," the man asked back and pulled the corners of his mouth down. „He was hanging out with the wrong people."

„People like you," Liz hissed her question and leaned a little forward. „People he thought were his friends. People who killed him because he didn't want to be involved in a cop killing?"

„I don't know what you are talking about," he laughed and shook his head. „I never told Darren that we'd be friends."

„And yet he has been a part of your entourage."

„He indeed was ... but I was never his friend, his buddy, his bestie. I told that Darren more than once and yet this little loser kept showing up at the basketball court. Maybe one of my boys had had enough and wanted to teach him a lesson."

Liz opened her portfolio and put several crime scene photos on the metallic table. „And what was the lesson, Curtis? Stay away from the Red Serpents or we'll put two bullets in your head and cut out your tongue when you drop the dime on us?" She shook her head with a hard expression. „No," she growled. „No, his murder meant something different and we both know it. That it pissed you off that one of your people turned against you. So you decided to teach the rest of your crew a lesson so none of them would follow Darren's example."

„I think the members of the Red Serpents got the message loud and clear. No matter if you are at the West or the East coast, we'll figure out if you drop the dime on us and you'll pay for it. And if you're thinking that your son and Keira are save in Detroit? Then you are more stupid than I thought because my people are getting her back to me come what may. Even your father-in-law won't hold them back."

Liz had to swallow her growl and suppressed the urge to punch his face as soon as he uttered a threat. Now, it was her turn to grin. „Thank you for just telling me that your gang isn't only operating in Boston, but nationwide. So the investigation against your guys is no longer a matter of the BPD, now it's a federal matter." She now leaned forward and his smug smile died. „That means I'm no longer your problem anymore but the FBI. And you can call yourself lucky because right now there's a Federal Agent standing behind this one-way mirror who's just dying to arrest you. Thank you for making my job so easy, Curtis."

Jane pushed Adam back when he tried to get out of the surveillance room as soon as Ortiz threatened his family. „Let go of me," he growled dangerously low.

„Stop it," Jane growled back and pushed him against a wall. „If you beat up Ortiz now it won't well for you."

„He just threatened my parents and my son!"

„And we'll make sure that nothing happens to them!"

„We're in Boston and my parents, Zane and Keira are in Detroit! How the hell do you wanna make sure that nothing happens to them?"

„Stop it now," the smaller but brawny agent and blocked Adam's way as he pushed past Jane. „Do you really want to risk your badge for this son of a bitch." He waited and Adam snorted. „Maybe you forgot it but I have ways and means to protect your family in Detroit. It won't help Liz, your son and yourself if you get in there and beat the living shit out of Ortiz. It only gets yourself in jail. Let Liz do her job. And then let me do mine."

Adam gritted his teeth and brushed Russo's hands off his chest. „Fine."

Russo patted his shoulder before he left the room.

Adam buried his face in his hands and swallowed hard. He dropped them when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

„It'll be alright," Jane stated reassuringly. „Nothing's gonna happen to your family."

Adam scoffed angrily and shook his head with his lips pressed together. „I never felt so helpless in my life before like right now."

„I know that feeling," she said calmly and rubbed his shoulder. „I know it very well. I felt many times that feeling when some scumbag had the idea to threaten Maura and Liz. And I moved heaven and hell to protect them. You should know that all of us are moving heaven and hell to protect your family, too."

He closed his eyes and nodded approvingly. He knew that Jane was right, he never doubted that they would do everything to keep his family safe. He closed his eyes for a second and looked down at Jane. „I ... I never thought that it would be so hard to be married to Liz. I never thought that she'd make it so hard to love her. That it would be so frustrating that she never step down even though she knows that she's -"

Jane raised her brows when he trailed off. „Even though she knows that she's pregnant?"

Adam blinked a few times. „She told you?"

„Yes," she sighed and nodded. „Liz told me when we went to Cody's parents. I don't know what drives people like Maura and Liz when it comes to a pregnancy." She raised a hand when he glanced confused at her. „Maura never slowed down either when she was pregnant with Liz. Maybe they think that they have to prove that they're still as good at their job even though they are mothers. Maybe they are afraid that people think that this circumstance makes them worse at their job. I know that motherhood made Maura even better at what she had done, and I know that motherhood makes Liz great at what she's doing because she can understand what it means when you lose a child."

„You're talking about her miscarriage?"

Jane needed a second to remember. To remember that her daughter had a miscarriage before she got pregnant with Zane. She took a deep breath and furrowed her brows. „And because she had to leave Zane behind. I think that it feels like she lost her child, too."

„Yeah," Adam sighed and swallowed hard. „maybe."

This time Ortiz swallowed had when the door to the interrogation room opened and Russo came in. „You can't do that."

„Watch me," Liz replied and gathered her belongings.

„You didn't read me my rights!"

Liz slowly raised her eyes and then furrowed her brows. „I didn't arrest you, did I? You and I were just sitting here, having a little chat." She glanced at Russo and smiled slightly. „Agent Russo, Mr. Ortiz is all yours."

Russo nodded slowly and eyed the other man. „Thank you, Detective Rizzoli."

She nodded as well and was about to leave the room. „And please do not forget to read him his rights."

„Wait," Ortiz all of a sudden blurted out.

Liz turned around again and raised her brows.

Ortiz closed his eyes briefly. „I can tell you who put me on you and Keira."

Liz glanced at Russo and went back to her chair."You're waiving your right to call your lawyer?"

Ortiz licked his lips and nodded. „Yeah, I waive my right to call him if I get a deal."

Russo sat down next to Liz and frowned. „I can talk with the United States attorney's office if you give us all the information you have."

Liz pinned the gang leader with her gaze. „Who put you on me and Keira?"

Ortiz hesitated and ran his hand over his short hair. „A woman. She was a little older than you."

„A woman who was a little older than me? That's not very helpful, Curtis. We need a little more than that."

Ortiz ran his tongue over his lips and shook his head. „I don't remember her exact name anymore. Spring, summer ... Something like that. Anyway, she came to me when I was still a lieutenant in the gang and told me that she and her boyfriend, who was in jail, would need my help."

„And you agreed to help them because you're a good Samaritan," Russo asked and the sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Ortiz rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. „I'd told her I'd help her if she would get rid of my boss."

„So you could take over the Red Serpents," Liz stated and the young man nodded.

„I also told the chick to give me some room so I could start my business at the West Coast."

She furled her brows and looked long at him. „Why the West Coast?"

„To expend after I enthroned Ramos. I am a businessman in the first place, honey."

„Hey." Russo barked and glared at Ortiz. „Eyes on me!"

Ortiz licked his lips again and took a deep breath. „I was planning to move the gang to California because we could've dropped off there more easily if things would go down the pan. I already had my drug dealers there, I had my smugglers, I had my pimps and my people already my snitches in the law enforcement and the DA's office. California was ready for the Red Serpents, but then that weirdo who killed Ramos started to lose it. That's why I decided to stay in Boston while my people in California cleaned up his mess."

Liz pressed her lips together and swallowed hard. „In which department did you have your snitches in?"

„San Diego Police Department."

Liz expression darkened and she glanced briefly at the agent.

Russo knew that gaze all to well and set his jaw for a second. „What happened then?"

Ortiz scratched his chin and sighed. „One day the chick called me and said that my people in California had to start a diversionary maneuver and that I had to make some sacrifices. I didn't think she'd mean it literally back then. The lunatic who killed Ramos probably drove to San Diego and killed some of my pimps and snitches. It was supposed to look as if the cops of the department couldn't cope with the situation and as if a gang war would go on. With that, my dream of California had more or less vanished into thin air."

Russo looked long at him. „And why did you do all of this for a woman you didn't know?"

„Shit," the young man laughed and leaned back in his chair. „She was a cop who told me that I'd be in for killing Ramos if I wouldn't help her and her lover."

„That woman was a cop at SDPD," Liz wanted to know and furrowed her brows when Ortiz nodded vehemently. She got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, got her phone out and showed him a photo. „Is this the woman you're talking about?"

Ortiz studied long a photo of Winters and then nodded once more. „Yeah, man, that's the chick who has me over a barrel."

Liz sucked in her lower lip and showed Russo the picture.

He set his jaw and got up without a word.

Liz glared at Ortiz before she also got up and wanted to follow the agent.

„Hey, Rizzoli," Ortiz suddenly said and she turned to him again. „Maybe I should make a call and call my henchmen in Detroit off."

Liz stopped breathing and she felt the color draining from her face before she bolted out of the room.

The door was thrown open once again and Adam entered the interrogation room, but this time Russo didn't hold him back.

Instead, he disconnected the surveillance camera.

„And who the hell are you," the younger man laughed.

Adam grabbed Ortiz at the collar and growled deeply, „I'm your worst nightmare."

Ortiz's smile felt immediately when he saw the seriousness in Adam's eyes.

Liz stood in the hallway and needed a moment before she was able to dial her sister's number. She held her breath while it rang and asked herself what she had done to deserve this. For five years she had thought that Winters was her friend and now it turned out that she was also responsible that Liz had left her family behind, not for a noble reason but for revenge. „Damn it," she hissed and panic raised in her. „Pick up!"

„Hey, Liz," Keira said after she finally answered the call.

The detective heaved a sigh and closed her eyes while leaning against the nearest wall. „Thank goodness." She sighed and took a deep breath. „Are you okay?"

„Yes, we are. Why are you asking?"

Liz closed her eyes and licked her lips. „I just wanted ... I just wanted to make sure that you're not causing any trouble."

„Well, Zane keeps us on our toes," Keira laughed.

Liz smiled but furrowed her brows. „Are Susanna and Paul home?"

„They're running some errands for the weekend," the teenager answered and then there was a brief silence. „Why are you asking."

Liz raised her eyes and looked at Jane, who suddenly was standing next to her. „Just ... lock the doors and the windows and don't answer anyone who's knocking."

„I just ordered pizza, though."

„Don't open the door until Paul and Susanna get home. Do you understand me?"

„Liz, you're scaring me."

„Just do what I told you. Adam and I are on our way."

„To Detroit?"

„Yes." She closed her eyes and swallowed a bitter sob. „We'll be there in a couple of hours."

„Okay," Keira replied and was silent for a couple of seconds. „Liz?"

„Yes?"

„I love you."

„I love you, too," the detective croaked and hung up before she'd start to cry. She turned to Russo when he emerged from the interrogation room and frowned deeply. „How fast can you get us to Detroit?"

He didn't answer her question when he got his phone out without hesitation.

„I'm coming with you," Jane stated determinedly.

The younger woman heaved a sigh and shook her head. „Ma, no."

„Hell, yeah," Jane nearly growled.

„Ma, I need you here with Mom in case things turn out -" She trailed off and closed her eyes. „In case things turn out badly."

„Well, that means that I am coming with you," Sam stated now.

„Sam," Liz breathed and steadied herself at the wall.

„Don't Sammy me, Liz." He replies firmly. „This is about family and that's why I'm coming with you. Whether you like it or not."

She was about to reply something when the door opened once again and Adam emerged, taking a little space from the others.

Liz went to him and frowned deeply when he averted her eyes. She knew that he was aware of her presence and that she didn't have to say his name or anything at all. She swallowed heavily when he ran this thumb over his knuckles.

„I didn't beat him," Adam whispered without looking at her. „I didn't beat him even though I wanted to."

„Adam," the young detective whispered back. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to tell him.

He nodded to himself and lifted his eyes. He saw her deep frown and the tears in her eyes and that she was sorry for what she put all of them through. She didn't have to say it, it was written all over her face and evident in her eyes. It was evident that she felt responsible, that she was feeling guilty. He took a deep breath and pulled her in his arms.

Liz clung to him and started shaking, turning her head away from the others.

Jane set her jaw and furrowed her brows. She knew that Adam and Liz didn't show much affection for each other when they were at work, at least not physically. She cleared her throat and nodded in the direction of the bullpen. „We should ... give them a moment."

„Good idea," Sam agreed and followed his aunt.

Russo looked at Adam and Liz and realized that he never had a real chance. „Yeah," he whispered more to himself. „good idea."

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„Does Liz really think that the whole thing's not gonna end well," Maura asked and sipped her white wine.

Jane sat down next to her wife with a beer in her hand and stared at her phone. „For what we know about the Red Serpents, we can only hope that Keira did as Liz told her and didn't open the door for anyone." She paused and shook her head. „You should have seen Liz's face, Maura. She's blaming herself for all what happened."

„Though she now knows that she's been tricked by Winters and Cody?"

Jane lifted her brows and nodded slowly. „I don't think that she understands that she has been tricked by someone she considered as a friend, an alley in difficult times. And all this time Liz was just a puppet in a perfidious game. I can't imagine being betrayed by a friend like that."

„Neither can I," Maura sighed and placed her head on the Italian's shoulder. „We've also had our difficulties, but I've never felt like you took advantage of me or betrayed me."

„Same here," Jane replied, still staring at her phone. „Liz shouldn't be on any plane right now."

„It's because of her child and her sister, and Adam's parents, Jane," the blonde stated and lifted her eyes. „You'd also fly to Detroit if it would be because of me, Liz or one of your brothers."

„Yeah," Jane agreed and rolled her eyes. „but I'm not -"

„Oh," Maura said with lifted brows and nodded understandingly. „You think she shouldn't be on a plane because she's pregnant."

„How -" Jane gasped and furled her brows. „I didn't tell you that our daughter is pregnant, did I?"

„I am still a physician, Jane," Maura replied with a faint smile. „And besides, I've been in the same situation, too."

„You traveled on a plane pregnant," the former lieutenant asked skeptically. „Did I miss something?"

Maura rolled her eyes and pinched her wife's side. „No, but I was pregnant too ages ago. I recognize the signs."

„Right," Jane grumbled and smiled when her wife rolled her eyes once again. „I almost forgot."

„You're impossible," the smaller woman laughed.

The Italian pulled Maura closer and sighed. „Even though you and Liz kept me up all night, I wouldn't want to miss a single moment. The two of you enriched my life in every way."

„Maybe you should tell that our daughter, too," Maura stated and kissed Jane's chin.

Jane nodded with a sigh and frowned. „I will when the situation calmed down." She paused and furrowed her brows. „You know, Maura, sometimes I wonder if I should have supported you more."

Maura got up from the couch and glanced confused at her wife. „What are you talking about?"

Jane ran a hand through her hair and furrowed her brows. „When Liz told us that she wanted to join the law enforcement just like me and Frankie. That day you were horrified that she didn't want to start an academic career, but I was totally thrilled that she wanted to become a cop. I know that the job as a cop is life-threatening and that it means that you may be put your family in danger, too. Every day we're spat upon, insulted and attacked. People shoot at us just because we wear the uniform of the police. Doctoral students aren't shot just because they're doctoral students. I should've supported you in the idea that Liz would go to BCU. Perhaps ... perhaps Liz's wouldn't be so chaotic with her falling in love with a psychopath who worked for BPD."

„And perhaps then she would have never met Adam, who loves her more than his own life and with who she has a beautiful son," Maura stated and frowned now. „We both know that life isn't perfect and that someone always makes the wrong decision, falls in love with the wrong person once or twice."

Jane looked long at her and took a deep breath. „Have you ever fallen in love with the wrong person?"

„You mean besides the man who wanted to turn me into a statue and the man I married?"

„Right, you've been married before," Jane stated and flinched when Maura pinched her once again.

„Yes, I was. And you watched me getting married to Ben silently although you already knew how you were feeling about me."

„I had no idea that those feelings were mutual," Jane sighed with a sad smile.

„I've indicated several times that I love you, Jane. I even told you the day of my wedding that I wouldn't marry Ben if you'd give me a good reason not to. I couldn't have been more obvious."

„Yeah, I think at that day I turned a blind eye on the fact that someone like you could love someone like me."

„Spuriously."

„Obviously," the Italian whispered and kissed Maura's hand.

„Have you never fallen in love with the wrong person," the blonde wanted to know.

Jane frowned and held Maura's gaze. „I never really fell in love until I met you, Maura."

The former ME rolled her eyes. „I'm serious, Jane."

„Me too," the brunette replied, shrugging. „I cared about my girlfriends, but ... I never truly loved them. When I first met you, you triggered something within me. You weren't just some bimbo that laughed about every stupid jokes I told just to please me. You were, and you still are, a challenge. You stand head and shoulders above my understanding and yet you have never acted arrogantly towards me, Ma, Frankie, Tommy, Korsak or Frost. You're ... you're extraordinary, Maura. You're beautiful and incredibly smart. And I didn't get the chance not to fall in love with you. You are the very first person I've fallen head over heels in love with and back then I hadn't had the balls to tell you how I feel about you. So I silently watched you falling in love with a man who didn't deserve you. Shit, even I don't deserve you."

Maura couldn't stop grinning like a Cheshire cat and Jane tugged in her chin skeptically. „Can you say that again while I record this with my phone so I can show it to Liz when she gets back?"

Jane's mouth dropped open and she blinked several times. She hadn't expected this kind of reaction and snorted when she got up. „No," she chuckled and went to the kitchen island while her wife snickered. „Besides, Liz is just like you. She's beautiful, she's smart, she's extraordinary. And also had a terrible taste in men. I always thought that there would be no man in this world who deserves her."

Maura got up too and followed the former lieutenant. „What's changed?"

Jane hesitated and braced herself on the surface of the kitchen island. „She has met Adam." She chuckled and shook her head like she wouldn't understand herself what had changed in time. „I know it sounds crazy, but Adam reminded me so much of myself, unlike Hanley who had forced himself on Liz, in the truest sense of the word. Adam is the complete opposite of Hanley. Remember when Hanley and Liz had sex in our house even though we were at home?"

„They had sex in Liz's room when they thought that we were asleep, Jane," the former ME replied with a small smile.

„Doesn't matter," Jane growled through gritted teeth. „Unlike Hanley, Adam never treated our daughter like a showpiece and that's when I realized that Liz finally met the right man."

„And if it wouldn't have worked out between them?"

„Then I would have known that they at least seriously tried."

Maura smiled once again and nodded. „At least you finally accept the fact that our daughter is no child anymore."

„Do I have another choice?"

„No," Maura laughed and shook her head. „No, not really."

Jane wiggled her brows and chuckled.

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Liz starred out of the window and slipped her hand into Adam, squeezing it until her knuckles turned white.

Adam turned his head and frowned deeply when she still didn't look at him. „You look exhausted."

„I never wanted to put your parents in danger," she whispered, turning her head, glancing up and setting her jaw. „I could never forgive myself if ... I could understand if you'd never forgive me if -"

„They're fine," he cut her off and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. „Neither Mom nor Dad will be harmed, nor Keira or Zane."

She glanced long at him and inhaled shakily. „How can you be so sure? Look at all the bodies that are paving my way in the last few years."

„It is not your fault," he whispered emphatically. „I cursed you so many times in those five years and tried to convince myself that I hate you for leaving me without any explanation. But today we both know that you were lured into a trap."

Liz nodded slowly and licked her lips. „I think I'll quit after we closed this damn case."

Adam looked surprised at her and frowned deeply. „What do you mean?"

She hesitated for a moment and placed her free hand on her belly. „That I'll resign from police service after we closed this case."

He glanced long at her. He knew that his wife loved being a cop as much as he loved it, that's why he would never ask her to leave BPD. „Don't make this decision so easily, Liz. We'll get through this."

„You've made enough sacrifices the last five year," she whispered harshly. „Now it's time for me to make sacrifices, too."

„And being separated from your son and husband for five years was not a big enough sacrifice," he hissed and bent his head down and her expression hardened. „I know that I am good in what I do, and Sam's good, too, but you are great at what you're doing."

„But I don't just want to be great as a detective, Adam," Liz hissed back and chuckled bitterly, licking her lips. „I finally want to be a mother. I mean, we have a six-year-old son and our second child is on the way. I just ... want to be a mother and wife."

„So we got married but never really had a wife," Adam growled and furled his brows.

„You know what I mean," the younger detective hissed and looked over her shoulder to see if either Sam or Russo eavesdropped on their conversation.

„No," he barked and pulled his hand from hers. „No, I don't know what you mean. „It almost sounds like you're being forced to do this job."

Sam was about to lift his Coke to his mouth but stopped dead when he heard Adam barking.

Liz buried her face in her hands and shook her head. „I'm tired, Adam," she sighed and exhaled shakily. „I'm so so tired."

Russo sat down next to Sam and eyes skeptically the couple. „Are they always like this?"

„No," the younger man answered and pressed his lips together. „But they've been through a lot lately and it seems like they have to work a couple of things out. I remember when Liz was promoted to a detective. The celebration was anything but joyful."

The agent looked questioningly at him. „Why, if I may ask."

Sam shrugged and scratched the back of his head. „Shortly after Liz learned that she was going to take the detective's exam, her partner and a close friend were shot by her ex-boyfriend with a sniper rifle. Back then, William Hanley thought in a psychic episode that he has to get rid of those cops who were against his relationship with Liz."

Russo's eyebrows shot up. „William Hanley is Liz's ex-boyfriend?"

„Didn't she tell you? I thought you two were ... close."

„Yeah, we were close," the agent replied. „But apparently not close enough."

Adam closed briefly his eyes and took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of his nose. „Let's talk about this when we get back to Boston."

„I'm not going to change my mind," Liz growled resolutely.

„Let's just -" Adam barked and clenched his fists. „Let's just focus on our next steps."

„Fine," Liz barked back and looked out of the window again, being on the verge of tears. „Let's focus on our next steps!"

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Jane paced nervously up and down and stared once again at her phone.

Maura sighed loudly and leaned forward. „Jane, you're making me nervous."

„They should have called hours ago," the former lieutenant growled and ran a hand through her hair. „Something's wrong, I can feel it."

Maura rolled her eyes and suppressed a frustrated groan. „Jane, they touched down two hours ago. You know yourself that it takes longer to get an operation like this going."

„An arrest doesn't last all day," Jane shot back and pointed at her wife. „And I always gave you a call when I had time." She paused when Maura quirked a brow and huffed. „Sometimes I gave you a call when I was free."

Maura chuckled and shook her head because it once again showed how impatient her wife was by nature. „Sit down. Now!"

The Italian stopped immediately and sat down next to the former ME. „Yes, Ma'am."

Maura sighed loudly and slipped her hand into Jane's with a broad smile. „Everything's gonna be fine."

„I just hate the thought that our pregnant daughter is deliberately putting her life in danger while I'm forced to sit around idly."

„You do know that you are no part of the law enforcement anymore, don't you," Maura asked and knew that she would strike a chord with the question. She still remembered how hard it was for her wife not to go to the BPD day in, day out. „Sam, Adam and Liz are very capable detectives."

Jane turned her head and furrowed her brows. She knew exactly what Maura was trying to say. That they were good detectives but not as good as her team. Frost, Korsak and Frankie, and of course Maura.

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. „Yes, I know. And they know what they're doing. They had excellent mentors."

„I hope that means you and me."

Jane blinked a few times and frowned. „Um, sure."

„You're a lousy liar," Maura laughed and the Italian grinned broadly."

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Adam glanced at his parents' house that looked quite peaceful even though several utility vehicles of the police and fire department were standing in front of it. Then his eyes fell on his wife who was talking to Sam and Russo while closing the Velcro fasteners of her bulletproof vest.

He inhaled deeply and went to the three, licking his lips. „Maybe we should just go to the front door and knock before we go in."

Sam eyed him and frowned deeply.

„Don't you have a key," Russo asked and Sam pressed his lips together so he wouldn't chuckle.

Liz glared at Russo and swatted his chest.

The last three hours neither she nor Adam were able to get in touch with Paul, Susanna or Keira.

„We're not gonna kick the door in," she stated warningly before she went with her husband behind an SUV to have a word.

He closed briefly his eyes and took another deep breath. „Russo's right. Why knocking? I have a key."

„I know," she said calmly. „I know that you are afraid of what we might find in there. It's okay to be afraid."

„I never felt so helpless like right now," he whispered and swallowed hard. „Neither you nor I could get in touch with my parents. I don't know -" He trailed off and ran a hand over his beard.

„They are alright," she assured him and took his hand in hers. „Everything's gonna be alright."

„And you," he continued when he looked down at her. „You're not supposed to be here."

Liz scrutinized him and furrowed her brows. „Excuse me?"

He ran his hands through her hair and sighed heavily. „You're not supposed to be here because -"

„I was also working when I was pregnant with Zane," she stated and glared at him. „And he turned out pretty well, didn't he?"

„Yeah," Adam agreed and smiled slyly. „he's alright."

„He's pretty amazing."

„You're welcome."

„It still takes two," Liz said and punched his shoulder before she walked around the vehicle again. „At least, that's what I always thought."

„You sure?"

„Are you implying that I got myself pregnant while you were having drinks with your friends?

Adam slowed his steps and frowned deeply while thinking about her question. „Um -"

„Really," she laughed because she knew what he was thinking.

„Are you good to go or do you need some time to exchange some nice words," Russo asked and frowned.

Liz took a deep breath and glanced at her husband. „Adam?"

The sergeant took a deep breath and set his jaw. „Let's do this."

„I got your back," Liz said while she and the others drew their guns while Adam walked towards his parents' house.

He briefly glanced over his shoulder before he carefully opened the front door. „Yeah, I know. And I got yours."

The three detectives, the agent, and the rapid response team entered the much too quiet house and Adam glanced at his wife, pointing to the stairs which led to the upper story.

Liz nodded and pointed at two RRT officers, telling them without words that they would split from the group and head upstairs.

Her heart almost jumped out of her chest while she climbed up the stairs even though there were no signs of forced entry or that there had a fight taken place.

She knew Paul. He wouldn't go down without a fight if intruders would be in his house. He wouldn't go down without a fight if someone would threaten his wife. That he and Adam had in common.

Liz pushed the thought to the side and told herself that she had to focus, that the smallest mistake would be unforgivable.

She resisted the urge to call out Keira's name so she wouldn't reveal their location even though the nagging voice in the back of her head told her to throw caution to the wind and run into every single room to find her family, her children.

She listened to the whispered 'Clear' in her ear and knew that there was only the basement and the attic left where Paul, Keira, Zane, and Susanna could hide. She knew this house like the back of her hand.

Liz slowly turned the doorknob of Adam's old room in which Zane was sleeping when he spent some time with his grandparents. She glanced at an officer and pointed at a walk-in closet

The young man nodded and went to the said closed while she thrust her chin to the door that led into a small bathroom.

The second officer nodded as well.

Liz paused for a second and licked her lips. There was only one place she knew where Zane would hide in this room and knelt down in front of his bed, lifting the bedspread. She released her breath when she saw that there was no one hiding underneath the bed.

The officer emerged from the bathroom and shook his head. „Nothing," he whispered.

The other officer also shook his head.

Liz swallowed hard and raised her eyes to the ceiling. „The attic," she whispered with furrowed brows, knowing that there was only the parents' bedroom left to check out.

She swirled around when she heard a very terrified 'What the hell' and she rushed out of the room, and down the stairs.

Susanna turned to the stairs and glanced questioningly at her daughter-in-law. „Liz, what the hell is going on?"

Liz didn't answer the question, holstered her gun and rushed down the stairs, hugging the older woman tightly. „Susanna," she breathed in relief.

„Oh," gasped the other woman surprised. „okay."

Liz examined her closely to make sure that Susanna was alright. „You're okay, aren't you?"

„Yes, of course, kid," Susanna answered and frowned deeply. „What's wrong?"

Adam hurried up the stairs that led to the basement and stopped dead when his eyes landed on his mother. „Mom?"

„I am glad to see you too," Susanna laughed when he buried her in his arms and made a face. „But right now you are crushing me, Adam."

„I'm just glad that you're alright," he mumbled into her hair.

„Why shouldn't I," Susanna asked gently and rubbed his back.

Adam didn't answer her question and looked over her head. „Where are Dad and the kids?"

„He's outside and tries to figure out why there's a massive force of police in front of our house," the older woman answered. „Care to tell me what the hell is going on?"

„Why is the police in front of my house," Paul grumbled angrily when he entered the house and froze when he looked into the relieved faces of Liz and his son. „Ow," he groaned when he found himself in Adam's arms. „okay. I'm old and fragile, you're breaking every single bone on my body, son." He glanced at his daughter-in-law and frowned deeply when she rubbed his arm. „Are you guys okay?"

„That's what we should ask you," Liz laughed in relief. „We tried to get in touch with you for the last couple of hours."

„I always forget my damn phone every time I leave the house," Susanna scoffed and took off her jacket. „And Paul's died briefly after we left the house."

„Liz told you not to leave the house," Adam barked when he became aware of the situation.

„Actually," Liz said when she saw the baffled expression of Susanna. „I told Keira to keep the doors closed and not that they weren't allowed to leave the house."

„Mama?"

Liz swirled around when she heard the voice of her own son but didn't move in the first place, but then she crouched down when he started to run towards her, catching him. „Hey, Baby," she mumbled into his hair and held him close.

„Keira told me that you come," Zane whispered like they were sharing some kind of secret. „But I didn't believe it."

Liz had to swallow hard and frowned deeply. „What did you not believe, honey?"

Zane traced her face with his fingertips and frowned as well. „That you would come here. Dad always told me that you come back, but you didn't."

She hugged him even tighter and closed her eyes. „I am here now. I am here for you, Zane. And I won't leave you alone anymore." She looked up when someone stepped closer.

Keira was keeping her distance but somehow she was drawn to Liz as soon as she spotted her, chewing on the nail of her thumb.

Liz inhaled deeply and reached out for her hand.

The teenager hesitated but took her sister's hand and stepped even closer. „I told them that we have to leave the house right after Paul and Susanna came home."

„You did good," Liz assured her and squeezed the girl's hand and meant it.

„It doesn't explain why you didn't answer your phone, though," Adam stated with a serious expression and the color drained from Keira's face.

„Adam," Liz hissed and glared at him.

„I left my phone in my room after Liz called," Keira answered abashed and frowned deeply. „I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

„Is anyone going to tell us what is going on?" Paul suddenly demanded to know when his son was about to bawl Keira out.

Liz glanced at her husband and took a deep breath

Adam nodded approvingly and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. „Yeah, of course. If you tell us where the hell you had been."

„Agreed," Paul grumbled and walked towards the kitchen, followed by Susanna and Adam.

„Are they always like that," Keira whispered skeptically.

Liz lifted Zane off the floor and furrowed her brows, nodding. „Most of the time, yes."


End file.
